Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Prior theoretical and empirical research indicates that purpose, specifically a “beyond-the-self” purpose, plays an important role in development among adolescents and young adults. However, we know little about purpose in older adults. This paper defines purpose as an ongoing commitment to goals that are both meaningful to the self and aim to contribute to the world beyond the self, accompanied by sustained action toward those goals. We surveyed a U.S. nationally representative sample of 1198 adults aged 50-92 about their demographic characteristics, positive development, health status, and purpose. Descriptive analyses revealed that 31% of older adults were purposeful beyond the self and that purpose did not meaningfully vary as a function of health status or most demographic characteristics; purpose was accessible to all. Multivariate regression analyses indicated that, when controlling for a well-established measure of general sense of purpose, purpose beyond the self was associated with greater levels of positive adaptation and development, such as life satisfaction and generativity. Implications of these findings include a need for further longitudinal and experimental research concerning purpose in older adults, as well as altering perceptions of older adults and finding more ways to engage this population in contributing beyond the self.