Purpose in Life among First-Generation College Students: Friends Make a Difference

Purpose in life is linked with numerous positive outcomes among adolescents and emerging adults. Peer relationships may play an important role in the cultivation of purpose, especially among first-generation college (FGC) students. The present study examined the association between the quality of peer relationships and commitment to purpose among students from three universities (N = 195). Analyses also examined whether FGC student status moderated this association. The results indicated that the quality of peer relationships significantly predicted commitment to purpose. FGC status moderated this association; high-quality relationships with peers helped close the gap in purpose commitment between FGC students and their counterparts.

Motivations and Emotions Behind Guru Seeking: A Case Study of Thakur Anukulchandra in Bhubaneswar, Odisha

This article explores why people seek out a religious guru, with special reference to Thakur Anukulchandra and his followers in contemporary urban settings of Bhubaneswar, Odisha in India. Through an ethnographic approach, this article examines the expectations of the devotees while seeking out spirituality and what kind of emotions people go through in this process, i.e. their hopes, disappointments, social bonds created with the guru and other followers. It looks at why the followers of this tradition are attracted to this particular ideology, philosophy and its relevance in an urbane setting. The study’s rationale is to explore the complex emotional bond between the guru and the followers, the narratives of devotion, accounts of miracles performed, indices of anxiety, and the nature of well-being. Findings suggest that Thakur’s sect provides people with a meaning and purpose in life and a personal connection with the charismatic guru that helps them tide over various existential crises. By making connections between the past and the present, the organization tries to anchor people’s lives and experiences.

Psychological Characteristics and Quality of Life of Patients with Penile Cancer: Pilot Study on a Russian Sample

Research into the psychological aspects of oncological diseases is nowadays relevant and widespread; however, there are very few studies in patients with penile cancer (PC). Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study is to investigate the psychological characteristics and quality of life of patients with PC for further organization of psychological counseling. The study included 17 male patients (mean age 49.0 3.76 years) of the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology. The following techniques were used: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Big Five Inventory (BFI), Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ), Purpose in Life Test (PLT), Quality of Life of Cancer Patients (EORTC QLQ-C30). The patients overall health status was assessed by D.A. Karnofskys scale; a specific psychological structured interview was also conducted. The emotional state of most patients is characterized by low indexes of anxiety and depression. Most of them are purposeful, organized, emotionally stable, unwilling to form trusting relationships. They have high rates of life meaningfulness, a normative level of internality and a decreased purpose in life indicator. The patients are not prone to active and conscious overcoming stress compared to healthy men. The indexes of quality of life, as well as the rates of its specific parameters (cognitive, physical and emotional activity) in the studied group of patients exceed the same values in patients with different tumor localizations and are not consistent with the objectively estimated condition. Health-related quality of life is largely determined by the characteristics of patients value system, especially in oncological diseases that are related not only to a vital threat, but also to deep personal experiences, including the experience of patients male identity.

Sense of Purpose in Life Promotes Resilience to Memory Deficits Related to Depressive Symptomatology

Individuals higher in depressive symptoms commonly present with neuropsychological deficits including poorer memory performance. Sense of purpose in life, a component of psychological well-being, has been shown to promote resilience to cognitive impairment in older adulthood, but it is unclear whether it may also protect against cognitive deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms. This study examined whether purpose in life moderated the effect of depressive symptoms on cognitive functioning in a large longitudinal study of 4599 American older adults (Mage = 74.33 years, range = 65–104 years, 56.84% female) across a 12-year follow-up period. Depressive symptomatology was assessed at each wave using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Multilevel models assessed the influence of depressive symptoms and the interaction with sense of purpose in life on changes in word recall and mental status. Higher depressive symptoms were associated with poorer recall at baseline, but not rate of change over time. A negative interaction was observed between sense of purpose in life and depressive symptoms such that individuals higher in purpose experienced a less negative impact of depressive symptoms on word recall. No significant interaction of sense of purpose and depressive symptoms was observed on mental status. Having a sense of purpose in life may help protect older adults from memory deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms. The present findings underscore the potential for sense of purpose to promote cognitive reserve in older adulthood, allowing individuals to maintain cognitive performance in the face of accruing neuropsychological challenges.

Are All Domains of Life Satisfaction Equal? Differential Associations With Health and Well-Being in Older Adults

Growing evidence documents strong associations between overall life satisfaction and favorable health and well-being outcomes. However, because most previous studies have assessed satisfaction with one’s life as a whole, we know little about whether specific domains of life satisfaction (e.g., satisfaction with income) might be driving better health and well-being outcomes. Data were from 13,752 participants in the Health and Retirement Study—a nationally representative cohort of US adults aged >or=50. We evaluated if positive changes in seven domains of life satisfaction (between t0;2008/2010 and t1;2012/2014) were associated with 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well-being (at t2;2016/2018). Satisfaction with family life and non-work activities showed the largest associations with subsequent psychological factors, followed by satisfaction with financial situation and income. Effect estimates were double in magnitude for certain domains of life satisfaction (e.g., the association between satisfaction with family life and purpose in life (β=0.22, 95% CI:0.16,0.27) was more than twice as large as the association between satisfaction with housing and purpose in life (β=0.09, 95% CI:0.02,0.16). Further, some domains showed associations with physical health outcomes (e.g., participants with the highest satisfaction with health had a 21% decreased mortality risk (95% CI: 0.66,0.95)), health behaviors (e.g., higher satisfaction with income decreased risk of sleep problems by 11% (95% CI:0.80,0.99)), and social factors (e.g., loneliness (β: -0.16 to -0.42)). Individual domains of life satisfaction might be novel targets for interventions and policies seeking to enhance specific facets of health and well-being in our rapidly aging population.

The role of laughter for successful aging of Alaska Native Elders

During a visit over tea and pilot bread, discussing successful aging and well-being, an Inupiat Elder shared that “It’s better to live a happier life, enjoy life all you can.” These wise words inspired the theme of this chapter which explores the role of laughter in the resilience and wellbeing of Alaska Native Elders. Based on a decade of research, this chapter introduces the concept of Alaska Native Eldership and provides an overview of the five strands of Alaska Native successful aging that contribute to their ability to remain resilient. Laughter is a universal emotional experience, and Alaska Native Elders have taught us that is has different functions that enable us to be resilient and age successfully. Laughter is woven throughout the strands of successful aging as a key to health and well-being and this chapter discusses the four types of laughter used to protect themselves, including redirecting conversations, practicing humility, taking away the power of stressful topics, as well as sharing happiness and laughter with others. This chapter concludes with reflections on how laughter contributes to our ability to find meaning and purpose in life and strengthening our relationships with family and community so we can remain resilient as we age.

Maintaining Sense of Purpose in Midlife Predicts Better Physical Health

Having a sense of purpose in life is fundamental to psychological and physical well-being. Despite the myriad benefits of purpose, it may be difficult to hold onto purpose as people age and experience fewer future-oriented goals. The present research used reliable change indices to estimate change in sense of purpose during midlife in three diverse samples. On average, sense of purpose declined slightly with age in all three samples. Next, we used linear regression to examine associations between sense of purpose levels and sense of purpose change and later self-reported physical health outcomes. Consistent with our preregistered hypotheses, higher sense of purpose predicted better health in the two larger samples and more positive sense of purpose trajectories better health in all three samples. Together, these findings suggest that both having a sense of purpose and holding onto it may be important for physical health in middle to older adulthood.

Purpose in Life: A Reconceptualization for Very Late Life

Across disciplines, we have long sought to understand the factors that contribute to purpose in life. Theorists have posited that having life goals, feeling productive, and remaining active are essential contributing elements to purpose in life (Crumbaugh & Maholick, 1969; Rowe & Kahn, 1997; Ryff, 1989). While these factors can undoubtedly contribute to purpose in life, they may not fully explain purpose in life for older adults in very late life (85 years old and older) who have long past and short future time horizons. In this presentation, we explore the concept of purpose in life for older adults in very late life and how current measures may not fully or accurately apply to this group. We examine the two most commonly used measures of purpose in life, the Purpose in Life Test (Crumbaugh & Maholick, 1964, 1969) and the Ryff Purpose Subscale (Ryff, 1989; Ryff & Keyes, 1995), and identify specific items that should be reconsidered for use with older adults in very late life. We then reconceptualize purpose in life for the oldest old based on several foundational theories, including Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, the Theory of Gerotranscendence, and Terror Management Theory. Stemming from this analysis, we posit that purpose in life in very life consists of three domains – the very long past, the very near future, and the transcendental post-mortem. Based upon this reconceptualization, we recommend the development of new measures of purpose of life in very late life that capture these three domains.

Delay Effect of Sport Media Consumption on Sport Consumers’ Subjective Well-Being: Moderating Role of Team Identification

Although empirical evidence indicates that sport media consumption has a positive effect on sport consumers’ subjective well-being (SWB), there is little information regarding how these enhancements in SWB change over time. Th e current research demonstrates that less identified sport consumers experienced greater levels of purpose in life when it was measured right after they recalled their past sport media consumption than when it was measured aft er a 15-minute delay. Meanwhile, the level of purpose in life was similar for highly identified sport consumers whether it was measured right aft er recalling past sport media consumption or aft er a 15-minute delay. On the basis of a moderated mediation test, we further demonstrate that highly identified sport consumers experience a greater degree of eudaimonic value aft er recalling past sport media consumption, which delays hedonic adaptation among them. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed as they relate to SWB and hedonic adaptation.