Work

Goal attainment, goal striving, and well-being during the transition to adulthood: A ten-year U.S. national longitudinal study

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines the relation between young adults' goal achievement, continued goal striving over time, and subsequent well-being. Analysis of a longitudinal subsample of a nationally representative U.S. study of 5,693 adolescents as they transition to adulthood revealed that individuals who met their goals had higher well-being, but that the relation between goal completion and well-being varied by goal content. Continued goal striving was related to well-being and maintained domain-specific self-efficacies, whereas goal disengagement was accompanied by declines in domain-specific self-efficacies. Overall, the results suggest that long-term goal striving is beneficial for well-being during the transition to adulthood.

Source: New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development

DOI: 10.1002/cd.279

Authors: Emily E. Messersmith, John E. Schulenberg

Institutions: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse