Proposing Purpose as a Promoter of Personal Progress

 

Webinar Topic:
Proposing Purpose as a Promoter of Personal Progress

When:
Monday, May 19, 2014
1:00 - 2:00 pm, EST

Speaker:
Dr. Patrick Hill

 

 

For centuries, people have discussed the importance of having a purpose and direction for life. Until recently, psychological research on the topic has focused on how purpose serves as an indicator of adult developmental success and well-being. While certainly true, such a characterization fails to consider two important points. First, we can find our purpose relatively early in life, well before becoming an adult. Second, purpose in life serves not only as an “outcome,” but also as a catalyzing force that directs personal development across different domains. In this talk, Dr. Hill will review the accruing literature on how one develops a purpose prior to the adult years, and the benefits associated with doing so. For instance, purposeful youth report greater happiness and are optimistic about their ability to navigate obstacles in their daily lives. Next, he will discuss preliminary evidence that finding a purpose serves to contour one’s later development, particularly with respect to helping to navigate the adolescent years, which come with increasing risks to one’s sense of self and psychological well-being. The central goal of this talk is to demonstrate that psychologists, educators, and interventionists will benefit from considering purpose as a mechanism by which to promote positive changes among early and late adolescents.

 

More about our webinar speaker:

Patrick L. Hill is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University where he began working in 2013 after completing degree at Indiana University (B.A.) and the University of Notre Dame (Ph. D.). His research focuses on how positive psychology constructs can help us understand why certain individuals live healthier and happier lives. Recent work has considered the health behaviours associated with being grateful, whether forgiving individuals experience greater well-being across the life course, and how having a purpose in life promotes daily positive affect amongst youth. His research is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.