Two researchers may not have found the fountain of youth, but after a 14-year-long study, they determined participants who had a goal and strived toward it often lived longer than participants who did not.
Patrick Hill from Carleton’s department of psychology and Nicholas Turiano from the University of Rochester, published their study, “Purpose in Life as a Predictor of Mortality Across Adulthood,” in Psychological Science, May 8.
“Our study provides further evidence that individuals who have set goals and a direction for life fare better than their peers,” Hill said via email. “This study in particular shows that purposeful adults might actually experience a reduced risk for mortality.”
In other research, Hill said researchers demonstrated that “purposeful individuals” report more positive emotions day to day and potentially “deal with daily stressors in a more adaptive manner.”
The study looked at 6,000 study participants age 20 and over. It also found having a sense of purpose “appears to be beneficial across adolescence, adulthood, and even into old age,” according to Hill.
“The current study adds to an accruing literature pointing to the widespread value associated with setting and striving toward a set of long-term goals for life,” he said.
Sydney Buttera, a third-year chemistry student at Carleton doesn’t know if having a goal could extend her life span.
“But I think it definitely extends my expectations for my own life,” she said. “Since I adopted this kind of mentality, I already feel like I’m accomplishing more and have a higher quality of life.”
Kéya Joseph, a fourth-year international business student at Carleton, said she believes “if you have something you’re working toward, you’re more likely to be in the shape to go do it.”
