The PATHS to Purpose: A New Framework Toward Understanding Purpose Development

Abstract

Academic and lay interest has accrued over recent years with respect to how people develop a purpose in life. However, few theoretical models exist for understanding this developmental process as well as how to connect one’s overarching purpose in life to their daily feelings of purposefulness. The current article presents the PATHS (Purpose As Trait, Habit, and State) model, borrowing from clinical and personality development literatures. This framework allows researchers to consider purpose as a more enduring life direction (trait level), as an automatized routine acting in accordance with one’s goals (habit level), and as a more momentary reflection or feeling that one is engaged in purposeful pursuits (state level). Using this framework provides researchers with a valuable tool toward explaining how people progress toward purpose, via natural development or intervention, as well as the potential influences in this process.

Interacting with supportive adults predicts greater same‐day psychosocial functioning among adolescents in a self‐driven learning program

“…If carry‐over psychosocial functioning is the most robust predictor of next‐day psychosocial functioning in our model, we wonder whether the small same‐day boosts to psychosocial functioning we observed accumulate into effect sizes on the scale of those observed in outcome‐based studies of mentored youth (e.g., van Dam et al, 2018; Raposa et al, 2019). An idea like this is consistent with models that propose state‐level incremental changes can culminate into trait‐level change over a long‐term period of observation (e.g., Allemand & Flückiger, 2017; Hill et al, 2023). Connecting daily and outcome‐based OST research—examining whether daily benefits of Champion interactions “add up” into the effects we tend to see elsewhere in the literature—will be an interesting direction for the field to take next.…”

“…However, growing evidence indicates meaningful daily and state-like variation in these constructs (e.g., Hill et al, 2021;Schwartz et al, 2011). These state deviations are not only informative in terms of prediction but, similar to theories of personality change (e.g., Allemand & Flückiger, 2017;Bleidorn et al, 2020Bleidorn et al, , 2021, may reflect evidence of an incremental, additive process that eventually amounts to substantial asset growth over time (Hill et al, 2023). In the context of Challengers interacting with their Champions in GripTape, indexing daily features of psychosocial functioning may be an optimal way of detecting short-term evidence of environmental responsiveness, an inherent part of thriving's definition.…”

“…Needed, then, are finer-grained examinations of the everyday processes that link positive youth-adult relationships to indicators of youth thriving, like improvements in youths' daily psychosocial functioning (e.g., sense of purpose, self-concept clarity, selfesteem). This is especially true in light of growing literature suggesting that short-term accumulations in positive developmental states are the building blocks of long-term dispositional change (e.g., Hill et al, 2023). Insight into short-term dynamic processes, therefore, lends itself to mapping the "hows" of OST program effectiveness.…”

Cultural stress and immigrant well-being: The role of sense of purpose.

“…Further support for considering interventions comes from research showing that, across different racial and ethnic groups, individuals who increase their sense of purpose over time tend to experience better health outcomes (Willroth et al, 2021). Theoretical frameworks have been proposed as blueprints for cultivating purpose over time (e.g., Hill et al, 2023;Moran, 2020), and past work has developed interventions that show promise for an increasing individuals' sense of purpose (e.g., Friedman et al, 2017Friedman et al, , 2019. Although these efforts provide valuable starting points, additional research is needed to consider how best to tailor these programs to suit the needs of immigrant participants, who may face unique literacy, historical, socioeconomic, and cultural barriers (Chung et al, 2008;Kreps & Sparks, 2008).…”

Does Activism Mean Being Active? Considering the Health Correlates of Activist Purpose

“…If true, these results provide valuable insights for community health interventions and programs. Theoretical work has provided a roadmap for helping to cultivate and support purpose development among individuals (Burrow 2023;Hill et al 2023;Moran 2020), pointing to the importance of identifying personally important activities in everyday life. Similar to the recommendations made by several therapy programs, this model suggests that individuals can benefit from reflecting upon what has given them a sense of purpose and direction today or this week.…”