ERIC Number: EJ934435
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
Purpose as a Form of Identity Capital for Positive Youth Adjustment
Burrow, Anthony L.; Hill, Patrick L.
Developmental Psychology, v47 n4 p1196-1206 Jul 2011
Having a sense of purpose has been discussed as a developmental asset for youth and as an outgrowth of establishing a sense of identity. Using the identity capital model as a theoretical framework, 3 studies examined purpose as a mediator in the relationship between identity and well-being among adolescents and emerging adults. In Study 1A, (n = 110), purpose commitment was positively associated with positive affect, hope, happiness among adolescents, and fully mediated associations between identity commitment and these indices of well-being. These findings were replicated in Study 1B (n = 398), with a sample of emerging adults and using different measures of well-being. In Study 2, multilevel random coefficient modeling analyses examined the role of identity and purpose in the daily lives of adolescents (n = 135). Results showed that purpose commitment fully mediated the relationship between identity and changes in daily positive and negative affect. Overall, findings suggest that cultivating a sense of purpose in life may be an important mechanism through which a stable identity contributes to well-being. (Contains 6 tables and 1 footnote.)
Descriptors: Well Being, Adolescents, Self Concept, Young Adults, Correlation, Affective Behavior, Psychological Patterns, Measures (Individuals), High School Students, Statistical Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A