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Life goal development, educational attainment, and occupational outcomes: A 12-year, multisample longitudinal study
Andreea Sutu1, Kevin A Hoff2, Chu Chu3
1Department of Psychology, University of Houston.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|March 28, 2024
Summary
Adolescent life goals significantly predict educational and career success. Goal development and changes, particularly in education and prestige, are crucial for predicting future outcomes in young adulthood.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Career Development
Background:
- Life goals significantly influence life and career trajectories.
- Previous research links life goals to outcomes, but not specifically life goal development.
- Understanding how life goals evolve is key to predicting educational and occupational paths.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine life goal development from adolescence to young adulthood.
- To investigate the association between life goal development and educational/occupational outcomes.
- To identify which life goals are most predictive of future success.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of two Icelandic youth samples (N=1824) over 12 years.
- Assessed life goal stability and change from adolescence to young adulthood.
- Analyzed the predictive power of life goals and their changes on educational attainment and occupational outcomes.
Main Results:
- Life goals demonstrated high stability but generally decreased in importance, except for family/community goals.
- Adolescent life goals and changes in specific goals predicted later educational and occupational outcomes.
- Education and prestige life goals emerged as the strongest predictors of future outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Life goal development is a significant predictor of educational attainment and occupational outcomes.
- Early life goals and their evolution play a vital role in shaping career behaviors and success.
- The findings underscore the importance of supporting goal development in youth for future success.
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