Growth Motivation Toward Two Paths of Eudaimonic Self-Development

Jack J. Bauer, Sun W. Park, R. Matthew Montoya, Heidi A. Wayment

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    44 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Growth motivation is studied as a desire for personal growth, framed within a model of eudaimonic growth and self-development (Bauer and McAdams in Dev Psychol 46:761–772, 2010). Five studies examine two facets of growth motivation (reflective and experiential) that aim respectively toward two paths of eudaimonic self-development (maturity/wisdom and well-being/meaningfulness). Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that participants differentiate concerns for reflective and experiential growth motivation, suggesting that people think about personal growth not merely in global terms. Studies 3–5 demonstrate that reflective growth motivation primarily predicts measures of psychosocial maturity, whereas experiential growth motivation primarily predicts measures of well-being, suggesting that motives for two facets of growth motivation correspond to the relative attainment of two facets of eudaimonic self-development. These relations hold when controlling for global measures of personal growth. Furthermore, reflective and experiential growth motivation simultaneously and independently predict generativity and self-actualization (constructs that incorporate qualities of both wisdom/maturity and happiness/well-being), suggesting that reflective and experiential growth motivation, despite their differentiation, also speak to a global, integrative notion of personal growth. The role of growth motivation within the context of eudaimonia and human development is discussed.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)185-210
    Number of pages26
    JournalJournal of Happiness Studies
    Volume16
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2014 Feb

    Bibliographical note

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

    Keywords

    • Eudaimonia
    • Growth motivation
    • Maturity
    • Meaning
    • Self-development
    • Well-being

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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