Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Psychology
First Advisor
Ellen A. Skinner
Term of Graduation
Summer 2025
Date of Publication
9-30-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology
Department
Psychology
Language
English
Subjects
Meaning (Psychology), Undergraduates -- Psychology, Developmental psychology
DOI
10.15760/etd.4054
Physical Description
1 online resource (x, 267 pages)
Abstract
For many young people, attending college is a core marker of the transition to emerging adulthood. Some students thrive in college while others become lost, confused, or seem to be just marking their time. Some researchers have hypothesized that one thing that can help students take advantage of their college experience is if they are firmly anchored in their own life goals and sense of purpose. The primary goal of this study is to contribute to knowledge about the role of a sense of purpose in college students' development, including not only its potential benefits to their academic functioning and wellbeing, but also the experiences and activities that students find helpful to constructing a sense of purpose. This mixed-methods study is focused on the role of a sense of purpose in college students' academic and psychological lives, and especially on the kinds of activities and experiences that colleges themselves can provide that support the development of purpose. This study emphasizes the student perspective and their voices and investigates the functioning of purpose for specific subgroups of students.
The study is organized around the following two questions: Do college students with a greater sense of purpose also show higher levels of academic functioning and well-being? What experiences and activities contribute to the development of a sense of purpose?
Rights
© 2025 Katlyn Rochelle Viers
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44219
Recommended Citation
Viers, Katlyn Rochelle, "What Kinds of Experiences and Activities Contribute to College Students' Sense of Purpose? A Mixed-Methods Study" (2025). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 6967.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.4054