Purpose and Meaning in Life in Older Age: A Correlational Meta-Analysis

TL;DR

This study finds a small but significant link between purpose in life and age, with variations based on age groups and cultural factors.

Contribution

The study provides the most comprehensive meta-analysis on purpose in life and age, highlighting moderating factors like age group and cultural dimensions.

Findings

A small positive correlation (r = .05) was found between purpose in life and age.

The relationship between purpose and age may switch from positive to negative when excluding emerging adults and including the very old.

Purpose scales with a future focus reduce the strength of the purpose-age relationship.

Abstract

This meta-analysis evaluated the relation between purpose or meaning in life and age across the adult lifespan. This represents the most comprehensive assessment to date of the relations between these two variables, based on sixty years of meaning and purpose research. The study included 335articles gathered through a search in PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and EBSCO. Using a three-level random effects model, the overall effect size based on k = 401 studies and N = 194,296 participants was r = .05 [95% CIs .03, .06], p < .001. There were significant moderating effects of type of purpose scale, age group of participants, and Hofstede’s cultural dimension of motivation towards achievement and success. Results suggest that the relationship between purpose and age may switch from positive to negative in samples excluding the emerging adult age group and including the very old. Moderating effects of type of purpose scale support recent efforts to understand the multi-dimensional nature of meaning and purpose, and highlight the differing role that motivational, cognitive and emotional aspects of meaning and purpose may play at different stages of the life course, Specifically, scales showing a greater future-focus potentially reduce the strength of the relationship between purpose and age. Building upon these collective findings we provide recommendations for theory and practice, as well as address limitations in the existing literature to guide future investigations.

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