The document presents a study that examined how attaining personal goals impacts existential and psychological well-being. It hypothesized that attaining goals would boost well-being, and that effects would be stronger for goals that were autonomously motivated or intrinsically oriented rather than controlled or extrinsic. The results supported these hypotheses, finding that goal attainment significantly predicted increases in well-being and that intrinsically motivated goals had a greater impact.
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2012 Presentation - Existential and Psychological Health as Products of Intrinsic Goal Attainment
1. Existential and Psychological Health as
Products of Intrinsic Goal Attainment
Nick Stauner
Personality Assessment Lab
University of California, Riverside
1
3. Outline
Intro: existential & psychological well-being (WB)
Hypothesis: goal attainment boosts all kinds of WB
Method: two-part self-report internet survey
Results: multiple regression (IV=attainment; DV=âWB)
A. Exclusion criteria
B. Main effects of attainment on well-being
C. Other main effects, interactions, and moderators
Recap summary
3
4. Existential well-being
Meaning in life*
⢠Subjective clarity & significance of oneâs own life
1. âI understand my lifeâs meaning.â
2. âMy life has a clear sense of purpose.â
3. âI have a good sense of what makes my life
meaningful.â
4. âI have discovered a satisfying life purpose.â
5. âMy life has no clear purpose.â
*Steger, Frazier, Oishi, & Kaler, 2006 4
5. Psychological well-being
Meaning in life*
⢠Subjective clarity & significance of oneâs own life
Psychological well-being (PWB)â
⢠Multidimensional theory of well-being
1. Environmental mastery 4. Autonomy
2. Self-acceptance 5. Positive relations
3. Purpose 6. Personal growth
*Steger et al., 2006 â Ryff, 1989; Ryff & Keyes, 1995 5
6. Meaning vs. subjective well-being*
⢠Parenthood paradoxâ
⌠Decreases positive affect
⌠Changes lifeâs meaning (?)
*Baumeister, 1991 â Lyubomirsky & Boehm, 2010 6
7. Meaning vs. subjective well-being*
⢠Parenthood paradoxâ
⌠Decreases positive affect
⌠Changes lifeâs meaning (?)
⢠Guerrilla warfare!
⌠Not the most pleasant
lifestyle one could chooseâŚ
⌠Not for the weak of conviction!
*Baumeister, 1991 â Lyubomirsky & Boehm, 2010 7
8. Goals as sources of meaning
âThe degree and kind of meaning a person finds in life
derives from the emotionally compelling qualities
of the personâs goal pursuits.â*
âGoals appear to be prime constituents of the
meaning-making processâŚGoals are an important
source of personal meaningâŚGoals are used to
construct meaning.ââ
*Klinger, 1998 â Emmons, 1999 8
9. Effect of goal attainment on SWB
Attainment increases subjective well-being*
⢠Predicts concurrent and future changes
⢠Short and long-term
Progress increases vitality, self-actualizationâ
⢠May increase psychological well-being! (p < .10)
*Brunstein, 1993; Sheldon & Kasser, 1998; Sheldon & Elliot, 1999
â Sheldon, Kasser, Smith, & Share, 2002
9
10. Autonomy vs. controlledness*
Self-rated reasons for pursuing a goal
+2 Intrinsic
⌠Fun, enjoyment, and interest in the experience
+1 Identified
⌠Belief in value and importance of the goal
-1 Introjected
⌠âOughtâ feeling to avoid shame, guilt, or anxiety
-2 Extrinsic
⌠Reward, praise, or approval from others
Main effect on SWB & attainment interaction
*Sheldon & Kasser, 1995, 1998, 2001; Sheldon, Ryan, Deci, & Kasser, 2004 10
11. Intrinsic vs. extrinsic content*
Goalâs self-rated help toward âpossible futuresâ
Intrinsic
+ Having many close and caring relationships
+ Being fulfilled and having a very meaningful life
+ Helping to make the world a better place
Extrinsic
- Being known and/or admired by many people
- Looking good and appearing attractive to others
- Getting a lucrative job and lots of nice possessions
Main effect on SWB & attainment interaction
*Sheldon & Kasser, 1995, 1998, 2001; Sheldon, Ryan, Deci, & Kasser, 2004 11
12. Depth of meaning*
Ordinal categorization of sources of meaning
1. Hedonistic pleasure & comfort
2. Personal potential, growth, creativity, &
self-actualization
3. Service to others and commitment to a
larger societal or political cause
4. Transcend individuality and encompass
cosmic meaning and ultimate purpose
*Reker & Wong, 1988; Reker, 2000 12
14. Hypotheses
1. Goal attainment boosts psychological well-
being and meaning in life.
2. Effects are stronger from goals that are:
A. Autonomously motivated
⌠More enjoyable, important, & meaningful
⌠Less obligatory or extrinsically rewarded
B. Intrinsically oriented and deeply meaningful
⌠More prosocial & self-transcendent
⌠Less materialistic or self-indulgent
14
15. Subjective Well-Being & Meaning
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule*
⢠Amount of 20 emotions in past few weeks
⌠E.g., âStrong,â âAfraid,â rated 1 â 5
Satisfaction with Life Scaleâ
⢠5 cognitive evaluations of global life satisfaction
⌠E.g., âI am satisfied with my life,â rated 1 â 7
Meaning in Life Questionnaire⥠â Presence
⢠5 cognitive evaluations of global life meaning
⌠E.g., âMy life has no clear purpose,â rated 1 â 7
*Watson, Tellegen, & Clark, 1988
â Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985; âĄSteger et al., 2006
15
16. Subjective Well-Being & Meaning
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule*
⢠Amount of 20 emotions in past few weeks
⌠E.g., âStrong,â âAfraid,â rated 1 â 5
Satisfaction with Life Scaleâ
⢠5 cognitive evaluations of global life satisfaction
⌠E.g., âI am satisfied with my life,â rated 1 â 7
Meaning in Life Questionnaire⥠â Presence
⢠5 cognitive evaluations of global life meaning
⌠E.g., âMy life has no clear purpose,â rated 1 â 7
*Watson, Tellegen, & Clark, 1988
â Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985; âĄSteger et al., 2006
16
17. Psychological Well-Being*
6 subscales of 9 items each, rated 1 â 6 (forced)
1. Environmental mastery
(-) âI often feel overwhelmed by my responsibilities.â
2. Self-acceptance
(+) âIn general, I feel confident and positive about myself.â
3. Purpose
(-) âMy daily activities often seem trivial and unimportant to me.â
4. Autonomy
(-) âI tend to be influenced by people with strong opinions.â
5. Positive relations
(+) âI know I can trust my friends, and they know they can trust me.â
6. Personal growth
(-) âI am not interested in activities that will expand my horizons.â
*Springer & Hauser, 2006; Ryff, 1989; Ryff & Keyes, 1995 17
18. Procedure
Time 1: 75-min. survey at quarterâs beginning
⢠Well-being measured
⢠Goals listed and rated
⢠Lots of other personality measuresâŚ*
Time 2: 45-min. follow-up at quarterâs end
Well-being measured again
Time 1 goals embedded & rated retrospectively
*Stay tuned for many more results in the future! 18
19. Goal assessment
List 10 goals and why theyâre being pursued
⢠E.g., âSave money for a conference.â
⌠Why? âBecause the hotel is expensive!â
âCategorize your goalsâ task (8 categories)
Goal ratings* (mostly scaled 1 â 4)
Time 1: intrinsic, identified, introjected, extrinsic
pressure, extrinsic reward, etcâŚ.
Time 2: progress + success = âattainmentâ
*List is not comprehensive; excludes those without hypotheses. 19
20. Participants
407 undergraduates at UC Riverside
⢠Young adults (M = 19.6 | SD = 2.3 | range = {17 â 44} )
⢠69% female (282 females, 125 males)
⢠Ethnically diverse & representative of UCR population
42% East Asian 27% Hispanic or Latino 14% European
6% African 5% Western or South Asian 5% multiracial
⢠Religion: mostly Christian, unaffiliated, or unknown
51% Christian 22% atheist/agnostic/no affiliation 15% missing
8% Buddhist 2% Muslim 1% Hindu 2% other
⢠43% freshmen, 24% sophomores, 24% juniors, 8% seniors, 6 others
⢠89% full-timers (Mean credits = 13 | SD = 4)
⢠58% single (238 singles | 159 spoken for | 12 itâs-complicateds)
⢠29% working: mean hrs. = 15, SD = 9
20
23. Exclusion criteria
Attrition
⢠11.5% (47 didnât return for time 2)
Completion time
⢠12.5% (45 excluded)
Inter-item invariance:
⢠20% (63 partially excluded)
Applied before performing any other analyses
23
24. Main effects of goal attainment*
Multiple regression to predict well-being change
⢠Predictors = time 1 well-being & time 2 attainment
⢠Dependent = time 2 well-being
Subjective well-being (SWB)
SWB = Life Satisfaction + Positive Affect - Negative Affect
Predictor β p
Time 1 SWB .64 < 2 x 10-16
Attainment .17 < .0002
⢠Successful replication of the goal attainment boostâ
*All df = {266 â 276} â Sheldon & Elliot, 1999 24
25. Main effects of goal attainment*
Multiple regression to predict well-being change
⢠Predictors = time 1 well-being & time 2 attainment
⢠Dependent = time 2 well-being
Subjective well-being: Attainment β = .17, p < .001
*
*Whitney, 2006 25
26. Main effects of goal attainment*
Multiple regression to predict well-being change
⢠Predictors = time 1 well-being & time 2 attainment
⢠Dependent = time 2 well-being
Subjective well-being: Attainment β = .17, p < .001
Psychological well-being (PWB)
Predictor β p
Time 1 PWB .80 < 2 x 10-16
Attainment .10 < .004
*All df = {266 â 276} 26
27. Main effects of goal attainment*
Multiple regression to predict well-being change
⢠Predictors = time 1 well-being & time 2 attainment
⢠Dependent = time 2 well-being
Subjective well-being: Attainment β = .17, p < .001
Psychological well-being: Attain. β = .10, p < .004
Meaning in life
Predictor β p
Time 1 Meaning .69 < 2 x 10-16
Attainment .10 < .03
*All df = {266 â 276} 27
28. Main effects of goal attainment*
Multiple regression to predict well-being change
⢠Predictors = time 1 well-being & time 2 attainment
⢠Dependent = time 2 well-being
Subjective well-being: Attainment β = .17, p < .001
Psychological well-being: Attain. β = .10, p < .004
Meaning in life: Attainment β = .10, p < .03
Hypothesis 1:
*All df = {266 â 276} 28
36. Well-being composite
Well-being unidimensional at the subscale level
⌠Most subscale correlations > .50 in magnitude
⌠Parallel analysis and scree plot indicate one factor
⢠Standardized and summed 3 types of well-being:
1. Subjective well-being (SWLS + PA - NA)
2. Psychological well-being (sum of 6 subscales)
3. Presence of meaning in life
⢠T2 composite well-being from T1 & attainment:
⌠Attainment β = .12, p < .002
⢠Used in all results presented henceforth
36
37. Moderation by goal content
Self-categorized type* Attainment β p df
1. Health .15 <.001 197
2. Academic .11 <.004 272
3. Social Relationships .10 <.01 269
4. Affect Control .11 <.02 163
5. Organization .13 <.03 99
6. Moral and Religious .06 .21 136
7. Independence .05 .26 186
8. Material Wealth -.03 .57 172
*Objective judge coding in progress for validation purposes. 37
38. Main effects of goal characteristics
Predicting T2 well-being from T1 well-being andâŚ
Extrinsic reward: β = -.09, p < .02
⌠âAre you pursuing this goal because you hope to gain some
material possession or reward (e.g., a car, money, a high-paying
job, a better place to live, etc.), or to avoid losing a material
possession?â
Probability of success: β = .11, p < .02
⌠âWhat are your chances of succeeding in this goal?â
Importance*: β = .09, p < .05
⌠âDo you pursue this goal because you really believe itâs an
important goal to have?â
Investment*: β = .09, p < .05
⌠âHow willing are you to invest time, money, or effort to achieve
this goal?â
*Distributions of importance & investment are negatively skewed. 38
39. Effect of self-rated goal importance on well-being change
Change in well-being
Importance (β = .09, p = .04, n = 183) 39
40. Effect of self-rated goal investment on well-being change
Change in well-being
Investment (β = .09, p = .04, n = 202) 40
41. Main effect of time frame
β = .08, p < .03
⢠âWhat is your time frame for accomplishing this goal?â
5 4 3 2 1
Enduring life goal Next few Next few Short term Day-to-day
or guiding value years months goal
(e.g., âmake the (more than 1 (less than 1 (less than 1 (e.g., âtake out
most of lifeâ) year) year) month) the trashâ)
Interpret cautiously
⢠Some extreme goals may fit both extremes!
41
42. Interactions with goal characteristics*
Extrinsic pressure x attainment: β = -.09, p < .05
⢠âDo you pursue this goal because someone else
wants you to, or because the situation demands it?â
*All df = {183 â 265} 42
43. Standardized effects of goal attainment & extrinsic motivation on well-being change
Change in well-being
Attainment (df = 183)
43
44. Standardized effects of goal attainment & extrinsic motivation on well-being change
Change in well-being
Attainment (df = 183)
44
45. Standardized effects of goal attainment & extrinsic motivation on well-being change
Change in well-being
Attainment (df = 183)
45
46. Interactions with goal characteristics*
Extrinsic pressure x attainment: β = -.09, p < .05
⢠âDo you pursue this goal because someone else
wants you to, or because the situation demands it?â
Intrinsic x attainment: β = -.06, p < .06
⢠âDo you pursue this goal for the fun and enjoyment
that it provides you?â
*All df = {183 â 265} 46
47. Standardized effects of goal attainment & intrinsic motivation on well-being change
Change in well-being
Attainment (df = 265)
47
48. Standardized effects of goal attainment & intrinsic motivation on well-being change
Change in well-being
Attainment (df = 265)
48
49. Standardized effects of goal attainment & intrinsic motivation on well-being change
Change in well-being
Attainment (df = 265)
49
50. Interactions with goal characteristics*
Extrinsic pressure x attainment: β = -.09, p < .05
⢠âDo you pursue this goal because someone else
wants you to, or because the situation demands it?â
Intrinsic x attainment: β = -.06, p < .06
⢠âDo you pursue this goal for the fun and enjoyment
that it provides you?â
Attainability x attainment: β = -.07, p < .05
⢠âWhat are your chances of succeeding in this goal?â
*All df = {183 â 265} 50
51. Standardized effects of goal attainment & attainability on well-being change
Change in well-being
Attainment (df = 220)
51
52. Standardized effects of goal attainment & attainability on well-being change
Change in well-being
Attainment (df = 220)
52
53. Standardized effects of goal attainment & attainability on well-being change
Change in well-being
Attainment (df = 220)
53
54. Conclusions
Goal attainment boosts meaning & PWB
⢠Hypothesis 1 confirmed!
Goal attainment effect on well-being is
moderated by goal content and motivation
⢠Hypothesis 2 partially supported
54
55. Theoretical implications
The goal attainment process builds and links
positive, existential, and motive psychology
Mixed evidence for/against moderator theories
⢠Autonomy/controlledness of motivation*
⢠Intrinsic/extrinsic goal orientation*
⢠Depth of meaningâ
*Sheldon & Kasser, 1995, 1998, 2001; Sheldon, Ryan, Deci, & Kasser, 2004
â Reker & Wong, 1988; Reker, 2000
55
56. Limitations & recommendations
Limitations
⢠Short time span
⢠Difficulty distinguishing existential from affective well-being
⢠Subjectivity of goal ratings & categorizations
⢠N too small to split by goal content or religious affiliations
Recommendations
⢠Experimental goal interventions* to reinforce causal claims
⢠Behavioral logs & health outcomes to assess effect
objectively
*E.g., Sheldon, Kasser, Smith, & Share, 2002 56
58. Planned analyses
Objective criteria of goal categories, depth of meaning, value
concordance, coherence & conflict
Attainment interactions with goal content & personality traits
Exploration of quadratic effects
Multilevel modeling of differences among goals
⢠Meaning, attainment, & self-determination at the goal level
⢠Person-level differences in ratings as dependent variable
58
59. Meaning vs. PWB-Purpose
1. I understand my lifeâs meaning
2. My life has a clear sense of purpose
3. I have a good sense of what makes my
life meaningful
4. I have discovered a satisfying life
purpose
5. My life has no clear purpose
59
60. Meaning vs. PWB-Purpose
1. I enjoy making plans for the future and working to make them a reality
2. My daily activities often seem trivial and unimportant to me
3. I am an active person in carrying out the plans I set for myself
4. I tend to focus on the present, because the future nearly always brings
me problems
5. I donât have a good sense of what it is I am trying to accomplish in life
6. I sometimes feel as if Iâve done all there is to do in life
7. I used to set goals for myself, but that now seems like a waste of time
8. Some people wander aimlessly through life but I am not one of them
9. I live life one day at a time and donât really think about the future
60
Editor's Notes
Going to be a data-driven talk
As with just about anything I research these days, Iâll begin with the meaning in life construct.Meaning in life can be a little hard to define.One way to define meaning is to let the participant do it, as these items do.In fact, the existentialist argument is that this is the only authentic way to approach the matter: subjectively.Participants rate these items, I sum their ratings, and thatâs my measure, but Iâm really just summarizing what theyâve told me about themselves.Likehappiness, no one can really tell you how meaningful your life is; itâs a psychological state of being you define by your own standards.Like a trait, itâs stable across time, and predictive of health consequences. A deeper sense of meaning leads to⌠Lowered depression, anxiety, drug abuse, suicidality Higher happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, optimismRegardless of how subjective these meaning ratings may be, theyâre clearly not trivial.
PWB refers to a theory of the structure of well-being above and beyond happinessOnly environmental mastery and self-acceptance relate strongly to happiness and life satisfactionThe other four dimensions are less commonly assessed elements of well-being, but elements nonetheless. Ryff bases this theory on Maslow, Rogers, Jung, Allport, Erikson, Buhler, & Neugarten, so sheâs done her homework.Aside from the theories of a bunch of dead white guys, there are other reasons to think these different kinds of well-being might be importantâŚ
For instance, parents often think their children make their lives happierâŚBut in fact, frequency of positive affect decreases after childbirth.Positive affect is even rated relatively low when with childrenPerhaps the kind of happiness parents feel theyâre gaining is different from the kind we usually measure.
For another example ofhow meaning might separate from happiness,Baumeister suggests we consider the life of the guerrilla.Guerrilla fighters definitely donât have the happiest lives, but they definitely have to believe in what theyâre doing to get it done right.Those in the room with kids may see other similarities here.Since meaning may be different from well-being, and since it is definitely important,I chose to set my dissertation sights on finding a way to improve meaningâŚ
Fortunately, my reading for quals seemed to suggestthat goals are the way to go.Here are some quotes emphasizing the causal connections from goals to meaning, at least in theory.
Another reason to look at goals is that they improve happiness, which is related to meaning.A series of studes have shown thisConcurrently and prospectivelyAcross a week and across a semesterMay also increase other aspects of well-beingIncluding psychological well-being as a wholeThese studies also suggest a number of moderators for these effects of goal attainmentâŚ
One such moderator is the reason for pursuing a given goal,Whether by personal choice orâŚnot so much. (May have heard of this as self-determination, self-concordance, perceived locus of causality, or organismic congruence)Basically, the autonomous reasons are fun, interest, or personal valuesControlled reasons include to avoid feeling like a bad person, or to get something from someone else.Main effect & interaction!
Another moderator is in the content of the goals themselves. (Also referred to as intrinsic orientation and vertical intrinsiccoherence)Basically a theory of which goals are directly rewarding and which are more indirect.The directly rewarding or âintrinsic futuresâ are emotional intimacy, personal growth, & community contributionThe indirectly rewarding or âextrinsic futuresâ are fame/popularity, attractive image, & financial successMain effect & interaction!!
Thereâs a similar theory about sources of meaning, which are similar to values.Values are somewhat similar to goals, especially when we compare similar themes like religious goals and religious values.So I thought Iâd test this theory too, since these themes are just as easily applied to goals as to values or sources of meaning.
Hereâs a summary of my hypotheses.Once again, here are some of the goal attainment theorists that have my back on this⌠Just so YOU know that I know what Iâm talking about. I read Larryâs autobiography, and he says the phrase changed his life, so there you go⌠Might as well call this one proven already!
Also, to test the other theories Iâve been talking about so far, Iâll consider these moderators.
Purpose itemsfocus on the kind of concrete life experiences a person with or without meaning in life might relate toRather than the global sense of meaning as evaluated subjectively
Categories are mostly self-explanatory, so Iâll present them with their results.
Pretty representative of the UCR subject pool (27% of those working were also full-time students)
($50K was an unfortunate choice for lower bound in my questionnaire design) (Turns out thatâs the median income in America.)
Hereâs how that compares to the national census data from the previous year. Only captured the variation within this box Butat least the data I got is about what Iâd expect from a representative sample.
A number of people just blazed through in really unreasonable amounts of time, so I cut them out. Anyone mind if I skip the details of the cutoffs I used? (Expected time: time 1 = 75 min.; time 2 = 45 min.) (Too short: time 1 < 20 min. or time 2 < 10 min.) (Too long > 48 hrs. (disrupts measurement context))Data excluded by measure when variance = zeroOnly applied to measures with 10+ items2+ subscales in each; reverse-scored items in most (Range per measure = {0 â 18} (excluding I/E-R))Really no excuse for giving the exact same answer to that many different questionsUnless participants were just gaming the system by getting one of these drinking birds to do their work for them.
âŚso in conclusionâŚ
Larryâs strategy works!Heâs living proof himself!
Even the guerrillas get a boost in the end.And yes, thatâs one myth confirmed.
Skip? Green are over |.5|; red are under |.3| Negative affect Subscales of psychological well-being Ryff & Keyes say are typically less related
Skip? Picture looks a little better at Time 2
Parallel analysis
Skip? All loadings on first rotatedfactor ⼠|.50| (Negative affect the lowest)
Skip? All loadings on first rotatedfactor ⼠|.47| (Negative affect the lowest)
One significant difference: material goals are clearly not as beneficial as others. That fits my moderation hypothesisAlso some support for prosocial and personal growth as relatively more beneficial the academic and social relationships goals fit that profileHowever, academic goals may include more extrinsic goals Social may include more hedonistic goalsAffect Control goals might be considered hedonistic, but they seem helpful hereIndependence goals might be considered personal growth-oriented, but they seem relatively unhelpfulMoral and Religious are theoretically most self-transcendent (though thereâs room for debate there)Mixed support at best.
Also, the beta for this effect was only .02 in the full sample without applying all my exclusion criteria βGoing to skip interpretation of this effect until I can get it to replicate.
Again, going to skip interpretation of this effect until I can get it to replicate.
This scaleâs ends may loop around on itselfKind of like communism and fascism on the political spectrum of left-vs.-right.Some recurring daily goals may be lifestyle valuesE.g., âStay organized,â âpray for peace,â ârelax,â etc.Fortunately, my labâs goal taxonomy may permit validation analyses* Objective judge coding in progress!
Thisinteraction had almost zero effect in the full sample without using my exclusion criteria (p value = . 98)
In the absence of extrinsic pressure, this effect really seems to jump out.Goals that people pursue for their own reasons, whatever they are, really do seem to affect well-being.
With more extrinsic pressure, the well-being boost from attainment practically disappears.
Extrinsic works as predicted by itselfâŚIntrinsic doesnât go the way itâs supposed to.
Extrinsic works as predicted by itselfâŚIntrinsic doesnât go the way itâs supposed to.
Hypothesis 1 confirmedAlthough itâs a little inconclusive with PWBâs subscales for autonomy & purpose(Also, main effects of extrinsic reward, attainability)Hypothesis 2: basic principle supportedModeration by goal content+ Health, Academic, Social Relationships, Affect Control, Organizationns Material WealthModeration by underlying motivationExtrinsic motives nullify the goal attainment boostJust not in the direction they all said it would goâŚ(Also, attainable goals also nullify the attainment boost, but provide their own main effect boost)
Demonstrates the relevance of goals to psychologicalhealth While suggesting that not all goals are equally healthy Particularly echoes mounting concerns about the detrimental effects of materialism and extrinsic motivesSupports the theory that goals are sources of meaningSupports the âAâ (for attainable) in S.M.A.R.T. goal setting strategyProvides a number of replications Significance attained for overall PWB4 Replicated main effect of attainability1 Has failed to replicate before Effort interaction failed to replicate3Mixed evidence for autonomy/controllednessâ Extrinsic motives only seem to offer extrinsic benefits, if any at least in the short termĂ Results of intrinsic motivation contradict theory Might be a fluke? Maybe UCR psych students spend too much time having fun already? Maybe driven by greater costs of failure to attain goals that arenât just for funMixed evidence for theories about the content of goals and sources of meaningâ Personal growth & prosocial goals yield well-being boosts when they are attainedâ extrinsic goals are just bad news in general.Ă Moral and religious goal attainment less beneficial? Religiousness is related to well-being in America Religious goals may be effects of religion, not necessarily causes of well-being
LimitationsOnly one quarterI still got my effect! But would it last? The effect on SWB has been shown to last, but I havenât demonstrated that with meaning or PWBMore effects might emerge over a longer time Then again, effects might also be obscured by other life influences over longer periodsHard to distinguish between existential well-being and affective well-beingCorrelation was a little strong in this sampleParticipantsâ goal ratings and categorizations may not be very accurateMany causes for concern about bias given population & method but I have some plans for getting around this I could talk about after Iâm done.Need more to test across goal content & religious affiliationsGreat taxonomy for comparing goals, but some types are very rare, so subsamples are too smallSame problem with religious affiliations: diverse sample, but some affiliations are too rare for comparisons Thereâs reason to think religious affiliation could make a difference Iâve found that links between meaning and values are moderated by religionRecommendationsWould help establish causality if experimental interventions that boost goal attainment indirectly benefit well-beingWould be good to gather more objective evidence of well-being increasing through goal attainment Objective measures of attainment could include behavioral logs or setting milestones for achievement On the well-being side, plenty of health outcomes could be tracked Might need a little grant money for thatFinally, just a general recommendation for anyone who has a goalâŚ
Other theories about good and bad goals I havenât tested yet but can value concordance and goal coherence vs. conflictSome reason to think certain goals will be more impactful for certain personalitiesAssertion goals for introvertsReligious goals for religious peopleSocial relationship goals for people who value friendship & loveCan test dependent variables at the goal level using multilevel modelingMeaning, attainment, & self-determinationAre religious goals as attainable? How extrinsic are academic goals?Interesting questions about person-level differences that need to be separated from goal-level differencesWho has all the fun goals?How much of that variation is just due to response bias?
Defined at the level of global life evaluationCompletely subjective
More focus on concrete plans and activities, and future orientationNot necessarily how everyone would experience meaning in lifeBut itâs definitely a more concrete concept than the subjective sense of meaning in life.