Abstract
Youth purpose is defined as a life aim that is both personally meaningful and contributes to the world beyond the self. This study disaggregated other-oriented (OO) aims (i.e., purpose as defined as a life aim intended to contribute to the world) and self-oriented (SO) aims (i.e., a personally meaningful life aim without intention to contribute beyond the self) to examine the development of youth who evince various combinations of high and low OO and SO aims. In a sample of 207 adolescent girls, hierarchical cluster analysis revealed three clusters: High SO–High OO (“Self and Other-Oriented Aims”), High SO–Low OO (“Self-Oriented Aims”), and High OO–Low SO (“Other-Oriented Aims”). A MANOVA indicated that youth who reported higher levels of parental trust and communication were more likely to have OO purpose (i.e., “Self and Other-Oriented Aims” and “Other-Oriented Aims”) versus primarily SO aims (“Self-Oriented Aims”). The “Self and Other-Oriented Aims” cluster was associated with better psychosocial functioning.
Highlights
Two decades of research has converged to illustrate the numerous developmental benefits of youth purpose [1,2,3,4]
The present study considers the purpose orientations and parenting characteristics associated with the development of purpose in adolescent girls from such backgrounds given the pressures and narrow focus on extrinsic, self-oriented aims that often preclude the cultivation of OO aims
The present study examined whether parent–adolescent relationship characteristics are related to different types of adolescent goals or aims among girls from selective private schools in affluent communities, where meaningful relationships and contexts may help or hinder the formation of other-oriented aims
Summary
Two decades of research has converged to illustrate the numerous developmental benefits of youth purpose [1,2,3,4]. Purpose is defined as the presence of a sustained, far-reaching goal that includes the intention to accomplish something that is both personally meaningful and contributes to the world beyond the self [1,2,5]. The seminal definition of youth purpose characterizes the goal as one that is personally meaningful and other-oriented. It is assumed that having this intention to contribute to others is one of the criteria of youth purpose, such that strictly self-oriented aims do not fit the definition of youth purpose [1]. Little research has been done that explicitly examines the sequelae and outcomes of OO aims (i.e., purpose) vs SO aims to determine whether aims that intend to contribute to others are more desirable for positive youth adjustment than those that are strictly self-seeking. The benefits of OO aims may be especially important for youth who are socialized to focus primarily on
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