ERIC Number: EJ1490811
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Nov
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0165-0254
EISSN: EISSN-1464-0651
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Giving Back to the Future: Generativity, Future Time Perspective, and Purpose
Kyrsten C. Hill1,2; Nathan A. Lewis3; Laura Dewitte4; Mathias Allemand5,6; Patrick L. Hill1
International Journal of Behavioral Development, v49 n6 p638-644 2025
Research suggests that generativity may serve as a path to the experience of purpose in life. However, little is known about how this relationship is influenced by age and future time perspective (FTP). The present study aimed to investigate age and FTP as moderators of the association between generativity and sense of purpose. A total of 787 participants ranging in age from 19 to 94 years (M = 50.23; SD = 16.47) completed self-report measures of generativity, FTP, and sense of purpose as part of a broader study. Correlational analyses revealed that generativity, age, and FTP were positively associated with a sense of purpose. Moderation analyses found that FTP, but not age, significantly moderated the relationship between generativity and sense of purpose. Specifically, individuals with a more limited FTP exhibited a stronger association between generativity and purpose. Findings lend support for a robust association between generativity and sense of purpose (r = 0.54), and they suggest that generativity may be particularly important for sense of purpose when time is perceived as limited. This study paves the way for future research examining the role of FTP on the development of generativity across the lifespan.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Data File: URL: https://osf.io/5xtsh/?view_only=af22195b6a5244308f6d6eb0fd5bda9e
Author Affiliations: 1Washington University in St. Louis, USA; 2University of Colorado Colorado Springs, USA; 3The University of British Columbia, Canada; 4KU Leuven, Belgium; 5University of Zurich, Switzerland; 6University of Teacher Education Schaffhausen, Switzerland

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