Bridges and Barriers in the Development of Faith, Identity, and Life Purpose in College Seniors

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Bridges and Barriers in the Development of
Faith, Identity, and Life Purpose in College
Seniors

• Katie Byron
• Whitney Guthrie
• Cindy Miller-Perrin
• Don Thompson
• June 13, 2006

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Emergence of Positive Psychology

• Traditionally, the field of psychology has
  focused on individuals maladaptive traits and
  pathologies
• Positive Psychology explores individual health
  and well-being

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Life Purpose

• Life purpose is a popular area of research within
  Positive Psychology
• Life purpose is linked to well-being
• Life purpose is part of Pepperdine Universitys
  Mission

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What Contributes to Life Purpose?

• Faith
• Religion is one context in which we encounter
  commitment to an ultimate concern or purpose
• Identity
• Our ongoing life narratives allow us to
  understand who we are and where we belong i.e.
  our life purpose

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Faith and Life Purpose Bridges

• Religious conversion
• Life purpose evolves following conversion
  euphoria, doubt, renewed strength and stability
• Core experiences
• Experiences of feeling close with God, including
  the perception that God dwells within, engender a
  sense of life purpose
• Spiritual strivings
• Sacred goals that aim for meaningful life
  objectives, pertaining to a persons imago dei,
  contribute to life purpose
• Mysticism
• Strong emotional religious experience accompanies
  a strong sense of life purpose
• God Control
• The degree to which individuals perceive God as
  being in control of their life can impact life
  direction or purpose

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Identity and Life Purpose Bridges

• Developing a sense of identity out of life
  stories and experiences leads to life meaning and
  purpose
• Identity confusion caused by lack of goals,
  based on lack of direction negatively impacts
  life purpose
• Development of life purpose helps to resolve
  identity crises

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Life Purpose Barriers

• To date, no studies have addressed factors that
  inhibit ones understanding of life purpose
• For those who experience discrimination, minority
  status is negatively related to personal growth
• There are many other potential barriers to life
  purpose such as anxiety, financial circumstances,
  personality, etc.

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Hypotheses Bridges Barriers to Life Purpose

• Faith development and identity achievement
  positively predict life purpose
• Specific barriers examined in the current study
  negatively predict life purpose
• Personality or personal emotions
• Views and opinions of others
• Social pressures or personal circumstances

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Participants

• 89 undergraduates (mean age 21.53)
• 60 female, 40 male
• 67 White, 6 Asian, 6 Latino, 10
  Multiracial/Other
• 64 Protestant, 14 Catholic, 2 Jewish, 1
  Hindu, 18 Other/None
• All participants were seniors at Pepperdine
  University
• Students were selected from the 2002 entering
  class to participate in a longitudinal survey on
  faith, identity, and vocation. The current study
  included 89 of these participants who responded
  to two separate surveys given during their senior
  year

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Measures Scales

• General Life Purpose Scale
• Life Purpose Barriers Scale
• Identity Scale
• Ego-Identity Status
• Faith Scales
• Faith Maturity
• Spiritual Transcendence

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General Life Purpose Scale

• Designed to measure overall sense of life purpose
• Sample items
• I have a good sense of purpose in life
• I have no sense of direction in life
• My life is valuable and worthwhile
• I am making a contribution to society

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General Life Purpose Responses
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Life Purpose Barriers Scale

• Measures factors that can prevent individuals
  from fulfilling their life purpose
• Yields scores on three subscales
• Personality or personal emotions
• Lack of motivation, fear, being uncertain of what
  God wants
• Views and opinions of others
• Parents, boyfriend or girlfriend, teachers
• Social pressures or personal circumstances
• Financial debt, feeling limited by gender
  stereotypes

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Life Purpose Barriers Responses
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Life Purpose Barriers Responses
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Ego-Identity Status Survey

• Classifies subjects into one of four identity
  groups
• Achievement exploration and commitment
• It took me a while to figure it out, but now I
  really know what I want for a career.
• Moratorium exploration without commitment
• Religion is confusing to me right now. I keep
  changing my views on what is right and wrong for
  me.
• Foreclosure no exploration, but commitment
• My parents decided a long time ago what I should
  go into for employment and Im following through
  with their plans.
• Diffusion no exploration or commitment
• I havent really considered politics. It just
  doesnt excite me much.

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Ego-Identity Status Responses
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Faith Maturity Scale

• Measures values and behavioral manifestations of
  faith
• Sample items
• My life is filled with meaning and purpose
• I have a real sense that God is guiding me
• My faith shapes how I think and act each and
  every day
• I devote time to reading and studying the Bible

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Faith Maturity Responses
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Faith Maturity Responses
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Faith Maturity Responses
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Spiritual Transcendence Scale

• Measures ability to step outside of oneself and
  immediate surroundings to view life on large
  scale, yielding three subscales
• Connectedness assesses participants sense of
  community and relationships with others
• I am concerned about those who will come after me
  in life
• Prayer Fulfillment assesses participants prayer
  or meditation experience
• I have experienced deep fulfillment and bliss
  through my prayers or meditations
• Universality assesses participants sense of a
  greater meaning in life
• I believe that death is a doorway to another
  plane of existence

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Spiritual Transcendence Responses
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Additional Results

• Barrier Gender Differences
• Faith Gender Differences
• Predictors of Life Purpose

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Gender Differences Emotional Barriers

• Females perceive emotional barriers to life
  purpose at higher levels than males

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Gender Differences Social Pressure Barriers

• Females perceive social barriers to life purpose
  at higher levels than males

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Gender Differences Faith Variables

• Females scored significantly higher on Faith
  Maturity Spiritual Transcendence

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Best Predictors of Life Purpose
Faith Maturity
Achieved Identity Status
Emotional Barriers
Life Purpose
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Lessons for Pepperdine University

• Engender Faith Growth Mentoring, Spiritual
  Nourishment, Challenges to Faith
• Promote Self-Discovery leading to Achieved
  Identity Reflective Experiences International
  Programs, Retreats, Club Convo
• Understand dynamics of gender, especially
  considering our 60/40 balance

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Dr. Cindy Miller-Perrin
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Whitney Guthrie
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Katie Byron