Purposeful change: the positive effects of a course-based intervention on character

Having purpose is linked to lifelong thriving across the lifespan. However, not all aspects of purpose, such as beyond-the-self purpose, are common among emerging adults. Purpose-relevant interventions in higher education, especially when focused on character development, may facilitate purpose deve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of positive psychology 2024-03, Vol.19 (2), p.323-336
Main Authors: Mendonça, Sara Etz, Dykhuis, Elise M., Lamb, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
beyond-the-self
character
college
education
emerging adulthood
Higher education
Intervention
Personality development
Purpose
Qualitative research
virtue
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Summary:Having purpose is linked to lifelong thriving across the lifespan. However, not all aspects of purpose, such as beyond-the-self purpose, are common among emerging adults. Purpose-relevant interventions in higher education, especially when focused on character development, may facilitate purpose development and have a positive effect on emerging adults' character. Using mixed-method data from college students in a course designed as a character intervention (n = 32), we explored how the course impacted student purpose. Pre- and post-course purpose scores indicated that the average intervention group's purpose changed significantly over the semester in two subdomains and that these intervention group changes were significantly greater when compared to a control group (n = 49). Qualitative analyses of intervention group assignments revealed four themes related to purpose: beyond-the-self orientation, tools to pursue purpose, individual flourishing, and building relationships. These results show the power of holistic character interventions to foster purpose in emerging adults.
ISSN:1743-9760
1743-9779
DOI:10.1080/17439760.2023.2178954