From Telling a Life Story to Creating One: Finding Meaning and Supporting Prosocial Action through Legacy Motive Activation

Findings from prior research on intergenerational decisions suggest that legacy motivations can be activated by contextual factors. Here, we highlight a practical method of legacy motive activation that moves individuals to engage in legacy building behaviors that can help them to maximize their intended impact and increase their life meaning and satisfaction. We also develop a theoretical model that explains the psychological mechanisms through which legacy motive activation operates, setting in motion behaviors that can lead to improved organizational and societal outcomes. Our model connects the literature on generativity and search for meaning with construal level and moral expansiveness theories. We posit that the activation of legacy motivation results in a closer and more concrete psychological construal of future others, thus leading to their increased inclusion in one’s circle of moral concern. Together, this cognitive shift leads people to align their behaviors more intentionally with their overarching values and goals. Research reviewed here suggests that such alignment promotes prosocial actions. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of this simple and highly effective tool to activate legacy motivations.