Person, temporal, and contextual predictors of momentary purpose in everyday life

Recent theoretical and empirical advances in purpose in life indicate a state component to feeling purposeful. This study used a micro-longitudinal study to identify person (age, sex, race, education), temporal (day in study, time of day, weekend), and broad (at work, with others) and specific (e.g., eating/drinking, shopping) contextual factors associated with momentary feelings of purpose. Participants (N=303; age range 40-70) reported their momentary purpose three times a day for eight days and what they were doing at the time of the alert for the survey. Relatively older participants (b=.36, SE=.13, p=.007) reported more momentary purpose compared to relatively younger participants. Participants reported more purpose in the afternoon (b=2.18, SE=.62, p<.001) and less purpose on weekends (b=-1.37, SE=.62, p=.027). The broad contextual factors were associated with purpose: Participants reported being more purpose-driven at work (b=9.30, SE=.71, p<.001) or with others (b=2.15, SE=.57, p<.001) compared to not at work or alone, respectively. Specific contextual factors were associated with feeling more purpose-driven (e.g., caregiving b=14.17, SE=1.99, p<.001; exercising b=15.59, SE=1.65, p<.001), except leisure activities, which were associated with less purpose (b=-4.76, SE=.99, p<.001). Feeling purposeful varies across moments and is sensitive to time of day, location, and activities engaged in.