Purpose in Life and the Liberal Arts: An Investigation of Antecedents, Barriers, and Purpose Among and Between Emerging Adults with and without a Liberal Arts Degree

The construct of life purpose and the vast array of associated positive outcomes has been widely studied in recent years. While research has contributed to the knowledge of the construct, there remains a gap in understanding how life purpose develops in emerging adulthood and what, if any, contribution a liberal arts education makes towards developing purpose. This quantitative, cross-sectional study utilized a survey instrument to explore family and social supports (PSSFa/PSSFr), religiosity (DSES), and gratitude (GQ-6) as antecedents to purpose (SOPS-2) and group differences between 308 emerging adults 20-30 years of age who did versus did not hold a degree from a liberal arts institution. Research questions explored group differences in dimensions and orientation of life purpose. Correlations between dimensions and orientations of life purpose and the antecedents to purpose of expressing gratitude, social and family supports, and religiosity/spirituality were also examined. Finally, socioeconomic status was examined as a barrier to life purpose, with a liberal arts degree examined as a partial mediator in this relationship. Participants with a liberal arts degree had higher levels on all dimensions and orientation of purpose. Further, antecedents of family and social supports, religiosity, and gratitude were each correlated with higher purpose levels. Lower SES predicted lower purpose levels. Finally, holding a liberal arts degree was found to partially mediate the relationship between SES and purpose. These findings have implications for higher education, positive psychology interventions, and social supports aimed at increasing life purpose among emerging adults.