Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7249898 | Personality and Individual Differences | 2016 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
Self-determination theory distinguishes between intrinsic and extrinsic values and research has demonstrated that prioritizing intrinsic relative to extrinsic values is related to greater well-being. Intrinsic values have typically been amalgamated yet based on theories of development (Arnett, 2000; Erikson, 1980), we prospectively examined the relationship between specific intrinsic values and vitality among people at different life stages. We hypothesized that valuing self-growth, reflecting the self-exploration involved in developing an identity, would be particularly important for the vitality of college students (NÂ =Â 99). Valuing community contribution, consistent with the generativity stage of later adulthood, was expected to be more important for the vitality of schoolteachers (NÂ =Â 90). Supporting our hypotheses, regression analyses showed that self-growth was relatively more likely than community contribution to be associated with increased vitality among university students, whereas community contribution was relatively more likely than self-growth to be associated with increased vitality among teachers. The analyses controlled for participants' mean ratings of intrinsic and extrinsic values. Change in self-growth values over one year, moreover, predicted students' vitality at the end of the year. The potential for integrating theories of development with self-determination theory's conceptualization of values is discussed.
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Neuroscience
Behavioral Neuroscience
Authors
Natasha Lekes, Nathalie Houlfort, Marina Milyavskaya, Nora H. Hope, Richard Koestner,