Growth Goals, Maturity, and Well-Being.

TLDR

Growth goals, particularly conceptual exploration and intrinsic interests, are linked to higher ego development and well‑being, and coherent goal hierarchies predict greater personality development, framing them as intentional self‑development pathways. The authors compared exploratory and intrinsic growth goals with social‑cognitive maturity and social‑emotional well‑being in two studies involving 125 college students and 51 adults. Growth goals partially explain the relationship between age and personality development.

Abstract

In 2 studies (125 college students and 51 adults), 2 forms of growth goals (exploratory and intrinsic) were compared with 2 forms of personality development (social-cognitive maturity and social-emotional well-being). Participants whose narratives of major life goals emphasized conceptual exploration were especially likely to have high levels of maturity (measured as ego development; J. Loevinger, 1976), whereas those whose goals emphasized intrinsic interests (K. M. Sheldon & T. Kasser, 1995) were especially likely to have high levels of well-being. Participants who had coherent hierarchies of growth goals on the levels of major life goals and everyday goals were especially likely to have high levels of personality development. Finally, growth goals accounted for some relationships between age and personality development. Growth goals are discussed in terms of intentional self-development and specific developmental paths.