Abstract

MOLINA, María Fernanda  and  IRIBARNE, Karina. Purpose in life and its relationship with extracurricular and work activities in university students. Psicol. Conoc. Soc. [online]. 2022, vol.12, n.3, pp.18-39.  Epub Nov 30, 2022. ISSN 1688-7026.  https://doi.org/10.26864/pcs.v12.n3.2.

The beginning of university studies constitutes a moment of transition and crisis. Having a purpose in life (PL) can contribute to students’ adaptation. Extracurricular and work activities are contexts with potential for the development of PL. This work aims to investigate the relationship between participation in extracurricular and work activities with the sense of PL in students who begin their university studies. As a secondary objective, the validation of the Purpose in Life Scale for University Students (PLSS) was carried out. Therefore, this research was divided in two stages. A total of 232 students of both sexes participated (women, 60.3%). In the first stage, the psychometric properties of the PLSS were analyzed. The results indicate that it has adequate content and factor validity, and good internal consistency. In the second stage, students who were beginning their university studies and were emerging adults (n = 160) were selected from the total sample. The sense of PL was compared based on the participation in activities, and the relationship between PL and the degree of perceived link between activities and career was analyzed. The results indicated that the participation in work activities was associated with a lower identification of PL. However, when it was perceived as linked to a university career, it was associated with a greater identification of PL.

Keywords : Purpose in life; emerging adulthood; university studies; activities.

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