Altruistic Purpose Research Articles

Exploring Academic Identity, Degree Commitment, and Life Purpose in First-Time Full-Time College Students: A Six-Year Degree Attainment Study (2017–2023)

This study examined the role of academic identity, degree commitment, and sense of purpose, self-reported at the start of university, in students’ progress toward obtaining a degree over 6 years. First-time, full-time freshman students ( N = 421, response rate of 21.1%) at a public university in the southwestern United States, designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, completed self-reported measures in Fall 2017. Their degree attainment, retention, and grade point average (GPA) were tracked until Spring 2023. Findings showed that academic identity significantly predicted 4-year degree attainment and cumulative GPA in the first 3 years. Degree commitment significantly predicted degree attainment within 4 and 5 years, retention into the third through sixth years, and cumulative GPA in the first 3 years. Altruistic purpose significantly predicted second-year retention and cumulative GPA at the end of the first year. These findings highlight the need for programs that support college student retention and success by strengthening their academic identity, degree commitment, and sense of purpose, especially altruistic purpose.

Validation of the Ukrainian versions of two life purpose scales: Revised sense of purpose in life scale (SOPS-2U) and specific purpose orientations (SPO-U)

This work focused on the translation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of two widely used scales for assessing sense of purpose in life – the Revised Sense of Purpose Scale (SOPS-2) and the Specific Purpose Orientations (SPO) scale – in the Ukrainian language. The SOPS-2 consisted of 14 items measuring three dimensions of purpose: awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose. Meanwhile, the SPO included 12 items assessing three types of purpose: others-growth, self-growth, and career-focused purpose orientations. Renamed as the Revised Sense of Purpose Scale – Ukrainian Version (SOPS-2U) and the Specific Purpose Orientations – Ukrainian Version (SPO-U), these two scales underwent a thorough translation process by two multilingual scholars proficient in both Ukrainian and English languages, employing the committee approach. Then through analyses of two datasets, the factorial validity, construct validity, and reliability of the SOPS-2U and SPO-U were established. These translated scales provide reliable and valid tools for assessing life purpose among Ukrainian-speaking adults.•Recognizing the profound impact of life purpose on adult wellbeing, the availability of a psychometrically robust measurement tool for assessing this construct in the Ukrainian language becomes crucial; thus, we translated and validated two such tools.•The Revised Sense of Purpose Scale – Ukrainian Version (SOPS-2U) is valid for assessing awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose dimensions in Ukrainian adults.•The Specific Purpose Orientations – Ukrainian Version (SPO-U) can be used with Ukrainian adults to further examine the specific types of purpose, such as others-growth, self-growth, and career-focused purpose orientations.

The effect of doctor-patient relationship on doctor’s altruistic purpose from pediatrician data in China

The effect of doctor-patient relationship on doctor’s altruistic purpose from pediatrician data in China

Adolescents with strong life purpose report greater career maturity

AbstractIn this study, we examined the role of sense of life purpose (awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose) in career maturity (concern, curiosity, confidence, and consultation) among adolescents (N = 234). Adolescents with a strong awareness of purpose reported high career curiosity, high career confidence, and low career consultation. Adolescents with altruistic purpose reported high career concern but low career confidence. Awakening to purpose, on the other hand, did not significantly contribute to career maturity. Overall, findings suggest the importance of providing support as adolescents explore various career options within the context of their life's purpose.

Thriving amidst adversity: Flourishing and grit in Ukrainian college students with strong life purpose before and after the onset of the Russian war in Ukraine

This multi-study examined the role of life purpose in the well-being of Ukrainian university students before (Study 1) and during the Russian war in Ukraine (Study 2) during the 2021-22 academic year using a cross-sectional design. University students from a city highly affected by the war, a region which borders Russia, completed measures of sense of purpose in life (awakening to purpose, awareness to purpose, altruistic purpose), specific purpose orientations (others-growth, self-growth, career-focused), flourishing, and grit (consistency of interests, perseverance of effort). Structural equation modeling was used to test four alternative path models. In Study 1 (N = 159), flourishing was positively predicted by all measures of purpose, except for awareness of purpose, which was a negative but weak predictor. Similar to flourishing, both dimensions of grit were positively predicted by career-focused purpose orientation above and beyond the overall sense of life purpose. Additionally, perseverance of effort was predicted positively by awakening to purpose. Consistent with Study 1, in Study 2 (N = 107), flourishing and perseverance of effort were positively predicted by career-focused purpose orientation above and beyond the overall sense of life purpose. Additionally, flourishing was positively predicted by awakening to purpose and others-growth purpose orientation. Overall, students with a strong life purpose reported high sense of flourishing and grit. Findings also highlighted the salient role of career-focused purpose orientation in students' well-being. It is thereby important to support students in exploring and connecting life's purpose with their career aspirations.

Examining the role of life purpose in high school students’ self-esteem through structural equation modelling

The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which high school students' sense of purpose explained variance their self-esteem. Life purpose is a multidimensional construct that encompasses long-term goals, commitments, and intentions to fulfill aspirations that are meaningful to self and have consequences for the world beyond-the-self. For this study, we explored the role of three distinct dimensions of awareness of purpose, awakening to purpose, and altruistic purpose in predicting students' self-esteem. High school students' (N = 234) between 14 and 18 years, completed surveys on self-esteem and sense of purpose. A structural model was tested, in which the three latent factors of awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose were specified to predict a latent factor of self-esteem. Analyses were conducted using maximum likelihood estimation method. Findings showed that both awareness of purpose and altruistic purpose contributed positively to adolescents' self-esteem. Awakening to purpose, on the other hand, was not significantly related to adolescents' self-esteem once their awareness of purpose and altruistic purpose were taken into account. This study expanded the growing body of research on the role of purpose in contributing to school students' personal wellbeing and development. We have discussed the findings of this study and previous literature in the context of practical implications that could support school personnel, teachers, and counselors to engage in wellness-oriented approaches that could strengthen students’ sense of purpose, and thereby their self-esteem.

The role of coups d’état in Africa: Why coups occur and their effects on the populace

AbstractScholars and researchers have debated the impact of coups d’état on African nations since the first coup in West Africa, in 1963, toppled the Sylvanus Olympio government in Togo. In the current paper, we employ a potpourri of theoretical frameworks – legitimacy, democratic and political instability, justice as fairness, rational choice and deterrence – to explain why coups occur, their effects on the general population and how they can be curbed. Three research questions were addressed in this study: (1) What are coups and why do they occur? (2) Do coups represent basic characteristics of goodwill towards the collective good of the people? (3) What measures can be put in place to prevent coups? In answering the first question, we considered several factors: Coups may occur when attempts are made to ‘diversify’ militaries entrenched with disproportionate representation by certain tribes in the nation‐state; when the ruling government is civilian, rather than military; and when political and institutional structures are weak. To answer the second question, we examined the concept of altruism. We determined that if the regimes being dislodged from power were unelected or seen as too tyrannical, coups may be deemed to serve an altruistic purpose. To answer the last research question, we examined the viability of both economic and diplomatic sanctions. Our study was not without limitations. A more comprehensive understanding of coups requires a holistic approach which would comprise both qualitative and quantitative strategies. We also provide directives for future research.

Modeling Residents’ WOM Behavior Toward Tourism Through Altruism and the Theory of Reasoned Action

Residents are a key figure in the tourist and leisure experience because through their words and actions, they can become ambassadors for their locality and provide a distinctive image of the tourist destination. They are often motivated by the altruistic purpose of helping others or promoting their locality as a tourist destination. To determine if true altruism influences the attitudes, intentions and WOM behavior of residents, a model based on Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was tested in a small coastal city in southwestern Spain. The results show that the altruistic values of the residents directly and positively influence their attitudes toward WOM behavior and, though to a weaker degree, their WOM behavior. The research corroborates the basic postulates of TRA regarding the attitudes-intentions-behavior sequence and advocates the inclusion of the residents’ attitudes toward pro-tourism behavior in TRA-based models instead of the traditional attitude toward the object (tourism or tourist).

The role of life purpose and passion for coaching in subjective well-being of sport coaches

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the role of purpose in life in coaches’ subjective happiness and life satisfaction and the role of harmonious and obsessive work passions in these relationships. Collegiate coaches (N = 379) completed questionnaires assessing sense of purpose in life (awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose), passion for coaching (harmonious, obsessive), and subjective well-being (subjective happiness, life satisfaction). Structural equation modelling showed that awareness of purpose was a positive direct predictor of subjective happiness and life satisfaction. Positive indirect relationships through harmonious passion for coaching were found between awareness of purpose and both measures of subjective well-being and between awakening to purpose and life satisfaction. Opposing indirect relationships through harmonious and obsessive work passions were found between awakening to purpose and subjective happiness. Altruistic purpose, on the other hand, was not a significant predictor of passions for work and subjective well-being. Structural invariance was tested across gender (male, female), Division (I, III), and position (head coach, assistant coaches), showing only a few differences across gender and position. Overall, findings highlight the importance of life purpose in strengthening coaches’ harmonious passion for coaching and their subjective well-being.

COVID-19 and fake news dissemination among Malaysians – Motives and its sociodemographic correlates

This paper investigates the motives behind the dissemination of fake news and examines its sociodemographic correlates, namely, gender, age, frequency of using social media and frequency of accessing digital news. A fake news dissemination framework comprising three motives were used to fulfil the aim of the study, namely, Altruism, Attitude and Pass Time. Online questionnaires were distributed resulting in the recruitment of 869 Malaysians (18–59 years old). Linear regressions revealed all three motives to significantly and positively predict fake news dissemination. Further analysis revealed females to engage in fake news dissemination significantly less than males for Pass Time purpose, whereas younger people tend to significantly disseminate more false content for Altruistic purpose than the older cohorts. Individuals who spent less than an hour daily accessing digital news were found to significantly share more fake news for Attitude and Altruism reasons compared to those who spent more than 5 h daily. The identification of the sociodemographic correlates and unique motives for fake news dissemination is deemed beneficial to authorities such as online content regulators and policy makers in order to design more effective strategies to combat the promulgation of such harmful news.

Life Purpose as a Predictor of Resilience and Persistence in College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which life purpose explained the variance in college students’ levels of resilience and persistence amidst COVID-19 pandemic. This study utilized a cross-sectional design and focused upon the three dimensions of life purpose: awareness of purpose, awakening to purpose, altruistic purpose. Structural equation modeling showed that both resilience and persistence were predicted positively by awakening to purpose when a traditional three-correlated factors model was used to specify the measure of life purpose. When a bifactor model was used, the general factor of purpose emerged as a positive predictor of both resilience and persistence. Additionally, awakening to purpose emerged as a positive predictor of resilience above and beyond the general factor of purpose. Practical implications of this study lie in supporting students to actively explore and fulfill their life’s purpose since doing so might strengthen their resilience and intent to persevere.

Sense of Purpose and Progress Towards Degree in Freshman College Students

This study examined whether first-time full-time freshman students’ sense of purpose predicted their progress towards a degree. Freshman students ( N = 421, 62.2% females) completed self-report measures of sense of purpose and academic commitments within the first month of starting college; a year later, the data on first-year progress towards a degree were matched with their responses. Structural equation modeling showed that while a sense of purpose did not directly predict progress towards a degree, awakening to purpose and altruistic purpose both had indirect positive effects on first-year GPA, academic standing, and retention through degree commitment. Additionally, altruistic purpose had indirect positive effects on first-year GPA through academic identity. The findings highlight that a sense of purpose may play an important role in persistence and attainment of a degree among college students.

Passion for Work and Well-Being of Working Adults

The purpose of the present study was to extend a study by Yukhymenko-Lescroart and Sharma (2019,“The Relationship Between Faculty Members’ Passion for Work and Well-Being”) to test the relationship between passion for work and well-being using a completely independent and much more heterogeneous sample of full-time working adults representing a wide variety of professions. Participants, who were recruited through the Amazon’s Mechanical Turk website, completed several scales ( N = 297, 55.2% female, median age = 34 years), and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. In line with our hypotheses, results showed that harmonious passion for work contributed positively to life satisfaction, subjective happiness, awareness of purpose, altruistic purpose, and awakening to the purpose. Additionally, obsessive passion for work contributed positively to altruistic purpose and awakening to the purpose. However, the results did not support the hypothesis that obsessive passion for work contributed to the awareness of purpose.

Examining the Factor Structure of the Revised Sense of Purpose Scale (SOPS-2) with Adults

Based on the multidimensional conceptualization of purpose, the sense of purpose scale is designed to measure three distinct constructs: awareness of purpose, altruistic purpose, and awakening to purpose. Building on previous work, the present study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the revised sense of purpose scale (SOPS-2) and examined its associations with wellbeing among adults in three independent studies (N = 1209). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure and tests of measurement invariance were conducted across occupation (adult students and university employees) and gender (males and females). Positive correlations between sense of purpose and a number of constructs of socio-emotional wellbeing were found: positivity, humility, self-esteem, and moral identity (Study 2) and pride, compassion self-esteem, and life regret (Study 3). Taken together, findings suggest that the SOPS-2 can be used as a measure of sense of purpose in life in adults.

Decision Making Factors of Commercial Donors and Recipients in Live Unrelated Kidney Transplantation in the Philippines

Introduction Since the harmonization of the Philippine living kidney donor regulations with the Declaration of Istanbul in 2008, transplant tourism became illegal in the Philippines, except in cases of proven altruistic purpose. Foreign transplant tourists ceased purchasing kidneys from Filipino donors, however domestic transplant tourism continued unabated. This resulted in concealed commercial kidney transplants among Filipinos. No previous study had been conducted to investigate the decision-making dynamics of both kidney sellers and recipient buyers in the Philippines, thus, this research attempts to answer the question: How do kidney sellers and recipient buyers shape their interpretation of kidney trading in the Filipino social context? Results of this research will strengthen the campaign to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable groups of Filipinos who are involved in the clandestine kidney trade. Materials and Methods Qualitative methodology was used through interviews with 12 kidney sellers and 34 kidney recipients of financially compensated donations throughout the period of 2008-2016. Focus group discussions were performed with kidney sellers and their families. Thematic analysis was used for analysing data until it reached theoretical saturation. Results and Discussion The resaerch has identified three themes in the Filipino social context that are associated with decision making of kidney sellers and recipient buyers: 1) values, 2) beliefs, 3) behaviours., and includes the methods families employ in order to sustain their economic existence and the power distance in which Filipino culture accepts hierarchical order, especially between rich and poor. These are all factors which can lead to the decision to both buy and sell an organ. The findings of the reserch indicate that kidney sellers believe that while it is acceptable to sell and organ to a fellow Philipino, it is objectionable to sell to a foreigner. The respondents additionally indicated that kiidney selling occurs as a consequence of unemployment and often it is the matriarch of the family who connects to an organ broker in the local community. Social media is now the principal communication tool used to conduct these transactions. These findings may help us understand why domestic transplant tourism still continues despite the existence of regulatory control. There are several impediments to effectively screen for commercial transactions disguised as altruistic donations in the Filipino social context. Conclusion This study has identified the association of the decision-making considerations of Filipino kidney sellers and recipient buyers based on the Filipino social context and the challenges faced by the Philippine regulatory system in identifying clandestine organ sales. This research additionally identifies the need to strengthen the screening process in order to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable kidney sellers in the Philippines.

The Relationship Between Faculty Members’ Passion for Work and Well-Being

The present study considered the dualistic nature of passion to examine whether passion toward work predicted hedonic (life satisfaction and subjective happiness) and eudaimonic (sense of purpose) well-being. Faculty members (N = 177) completed questionnaires assessing harmonious and obsessive passions for work, life satisfaction, subjective happiness, and three constructs related to sense of purpose in life: awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose. Structural equation modeling was used to explore the extent to which passion toward work explained variance in both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Findings indicated that in contrast to obsessive passion, harmonious work passion emerged as a positive predictor of life satisfaction and subjective happiness. Findings also showed that harmonious and obsessive passion toward work positively predicted awareness of life purpose and altruistic purpose. However, awakening to purpose was predicted by obsessive work passion only. Overall, findings highlighted that harmonious passion for work may play a salient role in individuals’ well-being and that faculty with obsessive work passion may feel compelled to search for one’s life purpose.

Sense of Purpose Scale: Development and initial validation

ABSTRACTThis study focused on the development of the Sense of Purpose Scale and demonstrated three empirically interpretable subscales: awareness of purpose, awakening to purpose, and altruistic purpose. The results provided initial evidence for all three subscales reliability and validity with a sample of 300 undergraduate students. Future research should focus on the further validation and revision of items to increase all three subscales internal consistency.

Unpacking grit: Motivational correlates of perseverance and passion for long-term goals

In two cross-sectional studies, we explored the motivational orientations correlates of the character strength of grit and its two component facets: perseverance of effort and consistency of interests over time. Specifically, we examined how individual differences in grit are explained by distinct approaches to pursuing happiness in life: pleasure in immediately hedonically positive activities, meaning in activities that serve a higher, altruistic purpose, and engagement in attention-absorbing activities. In both samples, grit demonstrated medium-sized associations with an orientation toward engagement, small-to-medium associations with an orientation toward meaning, and small-to-medium (inverse) associations with an orientation toward pleasure. These motivational orientations differentially related to the two facets of grit: pursuing engagement was more strongly associated with perseverance of effort, whereas pursuing pleasure was more strongly (inversely) associated with consistency of interests over time. Collectively, findings suggest that individual differences in grit may derive in part from differences in what makes people happy.

Pattern of care of blood donors with early‐uncomplicated hereditary haemochromatosis in a Swiss blood donation centre

We describe the recognition and pattern of care of voluntary blood donors with early-uncomplicated genetic haemochromatosis in our blood donation centre. Asymptomatic volunteers with suspicion of hereditary haemochromatosis (HH) due to an elevated ferritin level on routine screening were referred for further investigation. Alternatively, we accepted subjects with prediagnosed HH on referral. In the case of early-uncomplicated genetic haemochromatosis, either standard whole blood donation (WBD) or double-erythrocytapheresis (DEC) was offered. A median of six procedures was needed to achieve a ferritin value below 100ng/ml in the WBD group and of four in the DEC group (P=0·5). The rate of donation side-effects was higher in the DEC group, while the costs it generated were equivalent to WBD. Compared with WBD, DEC had no beneficial effect on treatment number, length of treatment, side-effects or treatment budget in early-uncomplicated HH. Integrating donors with uncomplicated genetic haemochromatosis to blood donation programmes can supplement blood stores and provide the donors with a cost-effective and altruistic purpose of treatment.

Data sharing for pharmacokinetic studies

Pooling data from different pediatric studies can provide a single robust pharmacokinetic analysis that allows covariate analysis and hypothesis testing. Data sharing should be driven by the altruistic purpose of improving drug understanding to the clinical benefit of children. Electronic communications have rendered the sharing of data relatively easy, and data sharing within the wider scientific community has become commonplace. Data sharing allows verification of results, save costs and time, allows new interpretation of old data, and can fulfill teaching benefits. It may stimulate cooperative competition between researchers and allow individual researchers to concentrate on unique aspects of the scientific puzzle. However, there is occasionally a reluctance to share, in part because of fear of others stealing the hard work of a research group, which may not be recognized in subsequent publications that reuse data. Providing data may require additional effort for presentation in a suitable format. Data may be abused or used for purposes other than those for which they were collected. Propriety claims may limit access to industry-sponsored drug research. The question of who has ownership of data is contentious. Investigators often consider data they have collected to be their own property. Reputations and grants may be hinge on ownership of a data set. However, other team members, institutions, funding agencies, and the public also have a stake. The difficulties identified in the general scientific community also apply to data sharing for pediatric pharmacokinetic studies. There are few clearly established rules at present, and consideration of the issues hinges on ethical and philosophical arguments. The development of databases will depend on collaboration and cooperation and greater clarity and consensus over appropriate processes and procedures.