ERIC Number: EJ1230583
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Nov
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0033-3085
EISSN: N/A
Quality over Quantity?: Mentoring Relationships and Purpose Development among College Students
Lund, Terese J.; Liang, Belle; Konowitz, Lily; White, Allison E.; DeSilva Mousseau, Angela
Psychology in the Schools, v56 n9 p1472-1481 Nov 2019
A growing number of studies have demonstrated that purpose in life is associated with positive outcomes among adolescents and young adults. The college years represent an important period of both personal and professional growth, including purpose in life. Supportive relationships may play a critical role in the identification and pursuit of purpose. Relationships with mentors, for example, have been linked with purpose among adolescents. The present study examined whether mentoring relationships were linked with purpose among college students (N = 194) from three institutions across the United States. Both aspects of quality (relational health) and quantity (i.e., number of mentors) were examined as predictors of purpose. Students who had at least one mentor reported higher levels of purpose compared to students with no mentors. Among students with at least one mentor, quality of mentoring was significantly associated with a greater commitment to purpose, while the number of mentors was not associated with commitment to purpose. Results are discussed in the context of practical applications regarding student success and purpose formation in higher education settings.
Descriptors: Mentors, Correlation, College Students, Individual Development, Professional Development, Interpersonal Relationship, Student Attitudes, Comparative Analysis, Self Concept, Academic Achievement, Identification
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A