Purpose and Identity Processes Lab
Reading list

Philosophy

Our philosophy

We believe everyone has the potential to cultivate a sense of purpose.

We believe everyone has the potential to cultivate a sense of purpose. Thus, we hope to contribute to a sturdy foundation of scientific evidence, measurement, and evidence-informed programs that informs understanding of – and hopefully incorporation – of it in people’s lives.

Specifically, we design studies to test basic and theory-informed questions, such as those that consider purpose as a predictor of happiness and hope, positive mood, and greater willingness to engage in healthy behaviors, and the like. Yet, we also conduct more intricate studies, such as those investigating whether purpose serves as resource capable of influencing how, and under which conditions, daily events relate to wellbeing. Across several studies we have tested whether and under what conditions having a sense of purpose is protective when people confront stress and challenge. Our findings show that purpose can buffer or eliminate negative moods that arise when people report everyday hassles, navigate socially diverse settings, or confront physically challenging or daunting obstacles.

As an interesting twist on this work, we have also examined whether the benefits of purpose extend beyond staving off negative reactions to stress, and also help curtail extreme positive feelings that arise when good things happen, such as an uplifting everyday experience or receiving positive feedback on social media.

In current work, we are trying to more precisely understand the kinds of experiences and settings that are most likely to seed purpose. That is, what opportunities and in which environments is a sense of purpose most likely to emerge? If purpose is an important resource for people, then it is important to be able to more clearly point to the things and places that give rise to it.

Importantly, our lab is always interested in translating the results of our studies for the benefit of our partners and other stakeholders. Working closely with the New York state 4-H program, we are testing the effectiveness of a brief purpose-writing intervention designed to deepen youths’ engagement with, motivation for, and learning of new information. We are also currently working to make a mobile app that presents a digital version of this writing task and is available to the public for free. Building on recent research suggesting that purpose aids learning, we hope to better understand the extent to which considering one’s purpose can enrich their capacity to utilize the experiential learning opportunities afforded by 4-H, and other youth-serving organizations.

When I left graduate school in search of a faculty position, I had a clear vision: I was going to build a lab dedicated to studying identity. Identity had always captivated me. I believe it was mostly the mystery of how people explore who they are and what they want to do with their lives. I had my research questions mapped out, a few initial studies planned, and my lab’s focus firmly established in my mind. I would for sure build “The Identity Lab”. Enthralling, I know.

But once I got my first job and spent some time setting up my lab, something curious kept happening. I’d share my research interests with folks who didn’t know me from graduate school; some new colleagues both inside and outside the department, and with thoughtful students who were enrolled in my classes. And they’d listen carefully to me talk about my research interests before saying, “Oh, so you study purpose.”

At first, I’d correct them. “No, no, … I study identity. You know, as in who people say they are.” But they’d push back gently with things like: “It sounds like you’re asking about who people are becoming, not just who they are right now. That’s purpose.”

They were right. I was asking about the forward-looking dimensions of selfhood: the trajectories, the prospective life intentions, the commitments, the sense of direction that shapes a life. Person after person heard something in my questions that I hadn’t fully recognized myself. So I spent more time reading the purpose literature — the psychological contributions weren’t overly extensive back then — so I’d also read philosophical and religious and historical contributions on the topic. I’d read whatever I could find that mentioned purpose. And I was fascinated. And I haven’t stopped being fascinated since.

That’s how the Purpose and Identity Processes Lab came to be; not exactly as I’d envisioned it, but as something I now believe is better. It’s a testament to collaboration, to remaining open to feedback even when you think you know what you’re after, and to the wisdom that emerges when you actually listen to the people around you. (I did insist on keeping “Identity” in the lab title, though. Some things are non-negotiable!)

This lab is a space where we take seriously the questions people have about who they are and where they’re headed. Not all of these questions require formal research. Sometimes wondering about your purpose or identity is simply worthwhile for its own sake … that is, it’s interesting, it’s fun, it matters to you. But other times, we want to know if our intuitions hold true beyond our own experience. So we rely on science and its methods: to collect evidence, rigorously test assumptions, and make inferences that extend beyond opinion.

Over the years, I’ve watched students walk into lab meetings with casual questions and walk out months later with conference presentations and publications. I’ve had my most stubborn beliefs about purpose dismantled by lab members who questioned my assumptions and made me think harder. Real learning lives in those exchanges. I genuinely believe these exchanges can only happen when people feel encouraged and comfortable enough to ask the questions that genuinely puzzle them. I am certain that has been true for me, thanks to the spaces others created.

I tend to think we are at our best when we prioritize open dialogue, creative and rigorous inquiry, and collective ownership of the work we produce. Sometimes we pursue programmatic lines of research over multiple years; other times we chase emergent questions that captivate enough of us to investigate further. This flexibility means anyone willing to articulate a question they want answered can contribute so long as we have space around the table.

A final note: I’ve never read a perfect study or met a perfect researcher. I’ve never seen a flawless experiment or survey, and I’m unaware of any perfect datasets (though I’ve seen some stunning visualizations of imperfect data!). I say this because the promise of research never emerges through perfection but through serious, persistent effort and a willingness to be wrong. Making mistakes at our table is okay, as long as we’re honest about what we were trying to do and figure out how to do better next time. Science is iterative. Even our missteps can lead to important insights and sometimes, if we keep moving forward, to successes. So whether it’s this lab or another, I hope you find a space where you can ask the questions you are most interested in.