174674 Social support and life purpose among graduate students: An investigation of personal development theory

Monday, October 27, 2008

Beth Johnson, PhD, MPH, CHES , Department of Health Promotion, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, VA
Barbara Rienzo, PhD , Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
James Algina, EdD , Department of Educational Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
R. Morgan Pigg, HSD, MPH , Department of Health Education & Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Katherine Gratto, EdD , Department of Educational Policy & Administration, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Michael Murphy, PhD , Counseling Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Several personal development theorists posit that developing social support and discovering purpose in life are necessary steps in the process of positive human development (i.e., Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs), particularly for young adults (i.e., Chickering's Seven Vectors of Development, Parks' Faith Development Theory) . These theories also suggest that developing social support must occur before people have the capacity to discover a sense of life purpose. Despite these theoretical associations between presence of social support and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, no investigations published to date have empirically verified the association between these two variables. In addition, initiatives within higher education institutions designed to assist students in developing social support and discovering life purpose are often inadequate. This study was the first to explore the association between social support and life purpose among graduate students, determining variations in the association when compared by demographic characteristics. Approval for this study was obtained from the university Institutional Review Board in November 2006. Using a cross-sectional, web-based, survey research design a 78-item survey was distributed to a random sample of 1,979 graduate students enrolled at a large research university during spring 2007. Bivariate correlation analyses confirmed the relationship between social support and life purpose, revealing that these variables are significantly correlated in a positive direction among graduate students, regardless of most demographic characteristics. Besides verifying personal development theory, these findings can provide a basis for university-based initiatives designed to enhance social support and life purpose among graduate students.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe personal development theories that consider social support and life purpose as necessary for positive human development. 2. Recognize the role universities are currently playing in the facilitation of social support and the discovery of life purpose among graduate students. 3. Recognize the important role universities could be playing in the facilitation of social support and the discovery of life purpose among graduate students. 4. List specific ways in which university student affairs organizations and health care centers can facilitate social support and aid in the discovery of life purpose among graduate students. 5. Identify ways in which the findings of this research can be expanded upon to further the understanding of the role of social support and life purpose in positive human development.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: the findings that will be presented come directly from the research study I conducted for my dissertation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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