Chapter 13 - Fates beyond traits: The dynamics and impacts of personal project pursuit

Abstract

In personality science, the choice of units of analysis is a key factor for understanding the dynamic transactions of people in context. One of the earliest analytic units adopted for such purposes is that of personal projects—extended sets of personally salient action in context that are pivotal for understanding how individuals can partially shape their lives. Personal projects can range from the tedious tasks of a Tuesday morning to the joyous passions of a lifetime and serve as the vehicles through which we shape our lives and those of others. We review four decades of research on the social ecology of personal project pursuit and focus on personal projects analysis (PPA), a multimodular methodology that allows us to examine project content, appraisal, dynamics, and impact. Adopting the social ecological framework within which projects are embedded provides us with novel ways of looking at personality in terms of “free traits,” personal contexts, and well-doing. We conclude that the quality of human lives is contingent on the sustainable pursuit of core projects and that our fates, beyond traits, can be salutary and fulfilling.