心理学视角下的人生目标

从心理学视角对人生目标予以研究非常重要。目前, 对此的一系列研究进展显示：在概念上, 尽管不同研究者对人生目标的认识存在差异, 但却一致同意它是一种能持续地赋予人生以方向和意义的动机性概念; 在对人生目标的测量上, 主要关注于“人生目标感”的高低程度及人生目标的内容两方面; 对人生目标功能的研究显示, 高人生目标感与更好的压力应对、健康行为及身心状态相联系, 但不同内容类型的人生目标是否存在功能差异尚需探讨; 在影响因素上, 影响人生目标感高低和人生目标内容的因素十分复杂, 大体可划分为个体因素和环境因素两类。进一步的研究需继续澄清概念、完善测量体系并系统化相关研究, 并应考虑相关文化差异问题, 以更好服务于人生目标的培育工作。

Purpose in life: A perspective of psychology

Researching purpose in life from a psychological perspective is crucial for life education. Progress in this area has shown the following. Despite some differences in definition, researchers agree that purpose in life is essentially about a consistent and central future-oriented aim that gives a sense of direction and meaning to life. The measurement of purpose in life mainly focuses on its content and the extent of being purposeful. A high score on purpose offers a testable system that synthesizes outcomes including better stress coping, healthier behaviors, and better physical and mental state, but it is not clear whether there is a functional distinction between types of purpose in life with different content. The content and extent of purpose in life could be shaped by many factors, including individual and contextual factors. Future studies should further clarify the concept, improve the measurement system, and research on its function and influencers systematically. Additionally, the cultural differences should be considered.