The State of State Purpose: What We Know and Need to Know About Purpose in Daily Life

ABSTRACT This review summarizes the current state of the state purpose literature. I begin this article by describing what purpose is and the benefits of having a higher sense of purpose, setting the stage for why researchers are interested in bolstering purpose for individuals. Through the lens of the intervention‐oriented Purpose As a Trait, Habit, and State (PATHS) model, I dive into the literature by describing different perspectives of the commonly studied trait purpose, which often represents either (a) one’s stabler, more consistent aims and life direction, or (b) how high or low one's sense of purpose is. To guide intervention efforts, I recommend taking a three‐factor approach when conceptualizing trait purpose in life: purpose scope, strength, and awareness. Working down the levels of the PATHS model, I introduce the theoretically‐derived habit purpose, which reflects narrower and more automatic purposeful thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Using habit purpose as a bridge, the bulk of the current review considers the status of the literature on state purpose (i.e., one's short‐term, ephemeral levels of purpose), summarizing differences in within‐person variability tied to state purpose measurement, intensive longitudinal design approaches, and lifespan developmental‐based changes. Finally, I summarize what we currently know regarding potential mechanisms for within‐person fluctuations of state purpose (e.g., physical activity, positive social interactions, social media use), while emphasizing the individual differences in these associations. By understanding the patterns and nuances of purpose in daily life, we are one step closer to creating individualized, bottom‐up purpose interventions.