Vic is a professor at the University of Michigan’s Schools of Public Health and Medicine. An innovative teacher and researcher, in 1995 he founded the UM Center for Health Communications Research, studying the future of digitally-tailored health communications when fewer than 15% of Americans had Internet access. He’s also an entrepreneur, founding HealthMedia, a digital health coaching company that was sold to Johnson & Johnson in 2010. More recently, Vic created JOOL Health, a digital platform integrating the science of well-being with big data, biometric devices, predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence. Vic and the organizations he founded have won numerous national and international awards, including two Smithsonian Awards, the Health Evolution Partners Innovations in Healthcare Award, and the National Business Coalition on Health’s Mercury Award. In 2010, Vic won the University of Michigan’s Distinguished Innovator Award. In late 2017, Dr. Strecher was the Donald A. Dunstan Foundation’s “Thinker in Residence” in Adelaide, Australia to develop a “Purpose Economy” of business, government, and communities. Vic’s latest neuroscience, behavioral, and epidemiologic research; his two recent books, Life On Purpose and the graphic novel On Purpose; and JOOL Health, are focused on the importance of developing and maintaining a strong purpose in life. https://www.vicstrecher.com/

1. Vic Strecher, PhD, MPH
Professor, University of Michigan
School of Public Health
Founder and CEO, JOOL Health
Transformative Technology
to Enhance Purpose in Life

2. “Deep change comes from deeper work: creating
shared purpose, vision and values that drive decisions
and goals and reward systems. A connection to what
you are trying to do that energizes hearts and minds, and
active hands to take supporting actions.”
Chris White

4. 37% of employees clearly know the company’s goals
20% are enthusiastic about these goals
20% see how they could support those goals
15% feel like they’re enabled to work toward the goals
20% fully trust the company that employ them
*Harris Poll
U.S. Workforce*

6. 4 know which goal they’re going toward
2 of them care
2 players know which position they’re supposed to be playing
2 players believe that their efforts on the field could make a difference
8 players would be just as likely to be rooting for the other team
Football team: 11 players

7. 2016 WORKFORCE PURPOSE INDEX
The Largest Global Study on the
Role of Purpose in the Workforce

8. The movement is already happening.
People are increasingly looking for jobs that give them personal
fulfillment; and companies are seeing that purpose-oriented
employees are more productive and successful.
As the economy evolves, purpose and recruiting purpose-oriented
talent will be a competitive differentiator. Companies of all sizes and
industries are realizing the power of inspiring employees with a strong
social mission, and creating an environment that fosters purpose.
If you are in a position to influence hiring, talent management, or
employee experience — the purpose movement cannot be ignored.
Need proof? We did an internal analysis on the role purpose plays in our
workforce.6
At LinkedIn, our purpose-oriented employees have higher
levels of engagement and fulfillment with their work. They outperform
their peers in every indicator, including expected tenure and leadership
competencies like self-advocacy and comfort with senior leadership.7
Read on to get the facts you need to bring purpose to your company.
“Companies that understand
the increasing emphasis of
purpose in today’s professional
landscape improve their ability
to attract such employees and
also their ability to retain them
for longer periods of time.”6
Reid Hoffman
Executive Chairman and co-founder
LinkedIn

9. “Companies that understand
the increasing emphasis of
purpose in today’s professional
landscape improve their ability
to attract such employees and
also their ability to retain them
for longer periods of time.”6
Reid Hoffman
Executive Chairman and co-founder
LinkedIn

10. 3 ways to apply these findings to
your talent strategy:
Talent Brand
Incorporate purpose into your branding efforts to drive continual candidate awareness,
and attract the candidates you want.
Employee retention
Understand what drives your employees, and how they experience purpose. Make sure
they have autonomy, influence, fair compensation, and the resources needed to do their
job. Clearly define and communicate company values, culture, and mission.
Recruitment
Infuse your organization’s purpose throughout the recruitment process. Seek out
purpose-oriented talent, start conversations with your organization’s mission and values,
and ask questions like “what motivates you?” in your interview process. Look beyond
skill match, and hire candidates to jobs that connect with their sense of purpose.
01
02
03

11. Raj Sisodia
David B. Wolfe
Jag Sheth

12. USPrivateFirmsofEndearment
USPublicFirmsofEndearment

13. -50%
400%
850%
1,300%
1,750%
3-year 5-year 10-year 15-year
US FoEs
S&P 500
GtG
Investment performance of Firms of
Endearment companies versus S&P
500 and Good to Great companies,
1998-2013 (cumulative total returns)
1681%
263%
118%

14. Amy Wrzesniewski
Yale School of Management
“Increasing emphasis is
placed on the
importance of work as a
source of fulfillment,
meaning, and purpose
in life today, as
individuals spend more
time at work and change
jobs more often and
readily than in the past.”

15. Durgin et al. (2009) Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. 16(5): 964-969
I have no purpose and a
heavy backpack
I have a purpose and a
heavy backpack
I’m in a control group

17. 14.5o

18. 14.5o
25 lbs

19. 14.5o
25 lbs

20. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin
2016, Vol. 42(1) 94–103
© 2015 by the Society for Personality
and Social Psychology, Inc
Reprints and permissions:
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DOI: 10.1177/0146167215615404
pspb.sagepub.com
Leveling Mountains: Purpose Attenuates
Links Between Perceptions of Effort and
Steepness
Anthony L. Burrow1
, Patrick L. Hill2
, and Rachel Sumner1
Abstract
People tend to overestimate the steepness of slopes, especially when they appraise the effort necessary to ascend them
as greater. Recent studies, however, suggest the way individuals perceive visual stimuli may rely heavily on their personal
motivations. In four studies (N = 517), purpose in life was tested as a motivational framework influencing how appraised
effort relates to slope perception. Studies 1 and 2 found the amount of effort participants appraised necessary to ascend
several virtual slopes was related to greater overestimation of their steepness. Yet, this relationship was attenuated by
purpose assessed both as a disposition and experimental manipulation. Studies 3 and 4 replicated these findings using actual
hills, again showing links between the amount of effort thought required to ascend them and their perceived angle were
diminished by greater purpose. The discussion addresses implications of purpose as a broad motivational framework that
shapes how individuals see their environment.

21. Purpose in Life Predicts Better Emotional Recovery from
Negative Stimuli
Stacey M. Schaefer1,2,3
*, Jennifer Morozink Boylan4
, Carien M. van Reekum6
, Regina C. Lapate1,2,3
,
Catherine J. Norris7
, Carol D. Ryff1,5
, Richard J. Davidson1,2,3
1 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 2 Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior,
University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 3 Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison,
Wisconsin, United States of America, 4 Center for Women’s Health and Health Disparities Research, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
of America, 5 Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 6 Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and
Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom, 7 Department of Psychology, Swarthmore
College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Abstract
Purpose in life predicts both health and longevity suggesting that the ability to find meaning from life’s experiences,
especially when confronting life’s challenges, may be a mechanism underlying resilience. Having purpose in life may
motivate reframing stressful situations to deal with them more productively, thereby facilitating recovery from stress and
trauma. In turn, enhanced ability to recover from negative events may allow a person to achieve or maintain a feeling of
greater purpose in life over time. In a large sample of adults (aged 36-84 years) from the MIDUS study (Midlife in the U.S.,
http://www.midus.wisc.edu/), we tested whether purpose in life was associated with better emotional recovery following
exposure to negative picture stimuli indexed by the magnitude of the eyeblink startle reflex (EBR), a measure sensitive to
emotional state. We differentiated between initial emotional reactivity (during stimulus presentation) and emotional
recovery (occurring after stimulus offset). Greater purpose in life, assessed over two years prior, predicted better recovery
from negative stimuli indexed by a smaller eyeblink after negative pictures offset, even after controlling for initial reactivity
to the stimuli during the picture presentation, gender, age, trait affect, and other well-being dimensions. These data suggest
a proximal mechanism by which purpose in life may afford protection from negative events and confer resilience is through
enhanced automatic emotion regulation after negative emotional provocation.

22. Meaningful work:
work that employees
believe is significant
in that it serves an
important purpose.

23. I’m Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?
Well, Mr. President, I’m helping
put a man on the moon.

24. RESEARCH ARTICLE
The motivational potential of meaningful
work: Relationships with strengths use, work
engagement, and performance
Jessica Van Wingerden1,2
*, Joost Van der Stoep1,3
1 Schouten Global, Centre of Research, Knowledge and Innovation, Zaltbommel, The Netherlands,
2 Erasmus University Rotterdam, Institute of Psychology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 3 VU University,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
* Jessica.vwingerden@sn.nl, Jessica.vanwingerden@gmail.com
Abstract
Research in the field of work and organizational psychology increasingly highlights the
importance of meaningful work. Adding to this growing body of research, this study exam-
ined the complex linkage between meaningful work and performance. More specifically, we
hypothesized that meaningful work has a positive relationship with an employee’s perfor-
mance in several and interrelated ways, via employees’ use of strengths, via work engage-
ment, and via strengths use affecting work engagement. We conducted a structural
equation modeling on a sample of 459 professionals working at a global operating organiza-
tion for health technology. The results provided support for the proposed model which
showed a better fit than the sequential mediation model and the direct effects model. This
indicates that the meaningful work–performance relationship is predicted best by multiple
pathways via employees’ use of strengths and work engagement. The main theoretical,
practical, and methodological implications of the results are discussed.
Introduction
Meaningful work–defined as work that is experienced as particularly significant and holding
positive meaning for an individual [1]—is a highly valued job characteristic by employees [2,3].
Some employees even value meaningful work above other work characteristics like income, job
security, promotions, or working hours [4]. Experiencing meaningful work reflects a deep per-
sonal linkage between an employee and his or her work which motivates an employee to go
above and beyond the normal requirements of their work [5]. A growing body of research links
meaningful work to employee well-being and performance [6,7], and meaningless work to dis-
engagement and alienation [8,9]. Due to these consequences, scholars and practitioners in the
field of work and organizational psychology have been highly motivated to increase our under-
standing of the role that meaningful work plays within contemporary organizations.
However, despite the growing interest in the topic of meaningful work, hitherto relatively lit-
tle is known about the processes through which meaningful work actually affects engagement
and performance at work. Research in the positive psychology demonstrates that people are
only able to excel when they use their personal strengths [10–13]. Here, strengths are defined as
PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197599 June 13, 2018 1 / 11
a1111111111
a1111111111
a1111111111
a1111111111
a1111111111
OPEN ACCESS
Citation: Van Wingerden J, Van der Stoep J (2018)
The motivational potential of meaningful work:
Relationships with strengths use, work
engagement, and performance. PLoS ONE 13(6):
e0197599. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.
pone.0197599
Editor: Gianni Virgili, Universita degli Studi di
Firenze, ITALY
Received: December 7, 2017
Accepted: May 4, 2018
Published: June 13, 2018
Copyright: © 2018 Van Wingerden, Van der Stoep.
This is an open access article distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original author and source are
credited.
Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are
within the manuscript and Supporting Information
files.
Funding: The authors received no specific funding
for this work.
Competing interests: The authors have declared
that no competing interests exist.
increased level of self-efficacy further impacts their levels of work engagement. This in
positively influences their performance. So all in all, the experience of meaningful wor
Fig 1. The meaningful work and performance model.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197599.g001
The motivational potential of mean

25. ORIGINAL RESEARCH
published: 29 September 2017
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01649
Accepting Lower Salaries for
Meaningful Work
Jing Hu1 and Jacob B. Hirsh1,2
*
1
Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, 2
Institute for Management & Innovation,
University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
A growing literature indicates that people are increasingly motivated to experience a
sense of meaning in their work lives. Little is known, however, about how perceptions
of work meaningfulness influence job choice decisions. Although much of the research
on job choice has focused on the importance of financial compensation, the subjective

26. showed
p = 0.9
p = 0.1
current
signific
such th
accept
(r = 0.1
reporte
work co
p = 0.0
were on
in orde
SD = 2

27. Purpose in Life Predicts Better Emotional Recovery from
Negative Stimuli
Stacey M. Schaefer1,2,3
*, Jennifer Morozink Boylan4
, Carien M. van Reekum6
, Regina C. Lapate1,2,3
,
Catherine J. Norris7
, Carol D. Ryff1,5
, Richard J. Davidson1,2,3
1 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 2 Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior,
University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 3 Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison,
Wisconsin, United States of America, 4 Center for Women’s Health and Health Disparities Research, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
of America, 5 Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 6 Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and
Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom, 7 Department of Psychology, Swarthmore
College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Abstract
Purpose in life predicts both health and longevity suggesting that the ability to find meaning from life’s experiences,
especially when confronting life’s challenges, may be a mechanism underlying resilience. Having purpose in life may
motivate reframing stressful situations to deal with them more productively, thereby facilitating recovery from stress and
trauma. In turn, enhanced ability to recover from negative events may allow a person to achieve or maintain a feeling of
greater purpose in life over time. In a large sample of adults (aged 36-84 years) from the MIDUS study (Midlife in the U.S.,
http://www.midus.wisc.edu/), we tested whether purpose in life was associated with better emotional recovery following
exposure to negative picture stimuli indexed by the magnitude of the eyeblink startle reflex (EBR), a measure sensitive to
emotional state. We differentiated between initial emotional reactivity (during stimulus presentation) and emotional
recovery (occurring after stimulus offset). Greater purpose in life, assessed over two years prior, predicted better recovery
from negative stimuli indexed by a smaller eyeblink after negative pictures offset, even after controlling for initial reactivity
to the stimuli during the picture presentation, gender, age, trait affect, and other well-being dimensions. These data suggest
a proximal mechanism by which purpose in life may afford protection from negative events and confer resilience is through
enhanced automatic emotion regulation after negative emotional provocation.
Citation: Schaefer SM, Morozink Boylan J, van Reekum CM, Lapate RC, Norris CJ, et al. (2013) Purpose in Life Predicts Better Emotional Recovery from Negative
Stimuli. PLoS ONE 8(11): e80329. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080329
Editor: Kevin Paterson, University of Leicester, United Kingdom
Received May 8, 2013; Accepted October 2, 2013; Published November 13, 2013
Copyright: ß 2013 Schaefer et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This research was supported by the National Institute on Aging (PO1-AG020166), the National Institute on Mental Health (R01 MH043454), and the
Waisman Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (Waisman IDDRC), P30HD03352. J. Morozink Boylan was supported by the National Institute
of Mental Health (T32MH018931-22). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National
Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or
preparation of the manuscript.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
* E-mail: smschaefer2@wisc.edu
Introduction
Growing evidence from epidemiological research suggests that
self-reported psychological well-being is important for both health
and longevity, potentially through mechanisms promoting resil-
ience in the face of adversity (see [1,2] for recent theoretical
reviews). Ryff defined psychological well-being in terms of six key
dimensions: autonomy (capacity for self-determination), environ-
mental mastery (ability to manage one’s surrounding world),
personal growth (realization of potential), positive relations with
others (high-quality relationships), purpose in life (meaning and
direction in life), and self-acceptance (positive self-regard) [3,4].
Higher levels of purpose in life, personal growth, and positive
relations have been linked to lower cardiovascular risk (lower
glycosylated hemoglobin, lower weight, lower waist-hip ratios, and
inflammatory factors: interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its soluble receptor
(sIL-64) [6], providing empirical support linking these well-being
dimensions to better health profiles.
Recent evidence suggests that relative to other dimensions of
well-being, purpose in life appears to be particularly important in
predicting future health and mortality. In a prospective, longitu-
dinal, epidemiological study of community-dwelling older persons
without dementia (Rush Memory and Aging Project), greater
purpose in life was associated with better ability to perform day-to-
day activities and less mobility disability in the future [7]. Those
who reported greater purpose in life exhibited better cognition at
follow-up, had a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment, and a
slower rate of cognitive decline [8]. In fact, people who reported
high levels of purpose in life (90th
percentile or higher) were 2.4
times more likely to remain free of Alzheimer Disease than people
Purpose in life and use of preventive health
care services
Eric S. Kima,1
, Victor J. Strecherb
, and Carol D. Ryffc,d
a
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109; b
Department of Health Behavior & Health Education, University of Michigan School
of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109; and c
Department of Psychology and d
Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705
Edited* by Bruce S. McEwen, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, and approved September 30, 2014 (received for review August 2, 2014)
Purpose in life has been linked with better health (mental and
physical) and health behaviors, but its link with patterns of health
care use are understudied. We hypothesized that people with
higher purpose would be more proactive in taking care of their
health, as indicated by a higher likelihood of using preventive
health care services. We also hypothesized that people with higher
purpose would spend fewer nights in the hospital. Participants
(n = 7,168) were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study,
a nationally representative panel study of American adults over
the age of 50, and tracked for 6 y. After adjusting for sociodemo-
graphic factors, each unit increase in purpose (on a six-point scale)
was associated with a higher likelihood that people would obtain
a cholesterol test [odds ratio (OR) = 1.18, 95% confidence interval
(CI) = 1.08–1.29] or colonoscopy (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.99–1.14).
Furthermore, females were more likely to receive a mammogram/
X-ray (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.16–1.39) or pap smear (OR = 1.16,
95% CI = 1.06–1.28), and males were more likely to receive a pros-
tate examination (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.18–1.45). Each unit in-
crease in purpose was also associated with 17% fewer nights
spent in the hospital (rate ratio = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.77–0.89). An
increasing number of randomized controlled trials show that pur-
pose in life can be raised. Therefore, with additional research,
findings from this study may inform the development of new
strategies that increase the use of preventive health care services,
offset the burden of rising health care costs, and enhance the
quality of life among people moving into the ranks of our
aging society.
purpose in life | meaning in life | well-being | health screening
Three factors converge to underscore the heightened impor-
tance of preventive health care services among United States
adults. First, there is the rapidly aging population: by 2050, the
number of United States adults over the age of 65 is estimated to
double (1). Second, there is the rising cost of medical care:
chronic illnesses and end-of-life issues that older adults face
services (7, 8). A central challenge therefore is to identify factors
that may increase the likelihood of using preventive health care
services. This need is particularly critical in the current climate,
given that increased access to preventive care has become
available with the Affordable Care Act.
The present study examines a psychological factor—purpose
in life—as a potentially important influence on the use of pre-
ventive health care services. Conceived as a component of well-
being, purpose addresses the extent to which individuals see their
lives as having meaning, a sense of direction, and goals to live for
(9–12). The concept is often viewed as central to well-being and
fulfillment in life (10–15).
A growing body of findings from longitudinal epidemiological
studies show that purpose predicts reduced morbidity (e.g., re-
duced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment,
as well as reduced risk of stroke and myocardial infarction) and
extended longevity (10, 16–21). Further work has linked purpose
to better regulation of physiological systems (e.g., reduced in-
flammatory markers and cardiovascular risk factors) as well as
brain-based mechanisms (e.g., insular cortex volume, reduced
amygdala activation, sustained ventral striatum activation) (22–
30). Additionally, a study that examined gene transcriptional
profiles found that eudaimonic well-being (an overarching um-
brella term that includes purpose) was associated with enhanced
expression of antiviral response genes and reduced expression of
proinflammatory genes (31). Furthermore, and perhaps most
importantly, purpose—along with other components of psycho-
logical well-being—have become the focus of multiple in-
tervention studies designed to improve a person’s life outlook
(10, 32–35). Therefore, it may provide a point of intervention for
improving health outcomes.
Significance
PSYCHOLOGICALAND
COGNITIVESCIENCES
Regular article
Purpose in life predicts treatment outcome among adult cocaine abusers
in treatment
Rosemarie A. Martin, (Ph.D.)a,⁎, Selene MacKinnon, (Psy.D.)a
,
Jennifer Johnson, (Ph.D.)b
, Damaris J. Rohsenow, (Ph.D.)a,c
a
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
b
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
c
Providence VA Medical Center, 830 Chalkstone Ave., Providence, RI 02908, USA
Received 15 June 2010; received in revised form 14 September 2010; accepted 6 October 2010
Abstract
A sense of purpose in life has been positively associated with mental health and well-being and has been negatively associated with
alcohol use in correlational and longitudinal studies but has not been studied as a predictor of cocaine treatment outcome. This study
examined pretreatment purpose in life as a predictor of response to a 30-day residential substance use treatment program among 154
participants with cocaine dependence. Purpose in life was unrelated to cocaine or alcohol use during the 6 months pretreatment. After
controlling for age, baseline use, and depressive symptoms, purpose in life significantly (p b .01) predicted relapse to any use of cocaine and
to alcohol and the number of days cocaine or alcohol was used in the 6 months after treatment. Findings suggest that increasing purpose in
life may be an important aspect of treatment among cocaine-dependent patients. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Cocaine; Purpose in life
1. Introduction
Spirituality has a prominent role in substance abuse self-
help programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and
other 12-step treatment programs. The construct of spiritu-
ality consists of beliefs, practices, and experiences (Miller &
(e.g., Elkins, Hedstrom, Hughes, Leaf, & Saunders, 1988),
purpose in life could derive from a variety of life goals and
values (e.g., Maslow, 1970; Rokeach, 1979). One function of
goals, values, or a sense of purpose is to motivate behavior
toward preferred experiences consistent with the purpose or
values (Wagner & Sanchez, 2002). Whether one's purpose in
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 40 (2011) 183–188
https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317708251
Journal of Health Psychology
1–9
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A purposeful lifestyle is a healthful
lifestyle: Linking sense of purpose to
self-rated health through multiple
health behaviors
Patrick L Hill1, Grant W Edmonds2
and Sarah E Hampson2
Abstract
Having a purpose in life has been consistently linked to subjective and objective health markers. Using
data from the Hawaii Study of Personality and Health (n =749, Mage =60.1years), we tested multiple health
behaviors as unique mediators of the correlation between sense of purpose and self-rated health (r=.29).
Correlational analyses found that participants’ sense of purpose was positively associated with their reports
of vigorous and moderate activity, vegetable intake, flossing, and sleep quality. Combined in a multiple-
mediator model, bootstrapping analyses suggested that sleep quality and vigorous activity proved significant
708251HPQ0010.1177/1359105317708251Journal of Health PsychologyHill et al.
rch-article2017
Article
https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317708251
Journal of Health Psychology
1–9
© The Author(s) 2017
Reprints and permissions:
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DOI: 10.1177/1359105317708251
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A purposeful lifestyle is a healthful
lifestyle: Linking sense of purpose to
self-rated health through multiple
health behaviors
Patrick L Hill1, Grant W Edmonds2
and Sarah E Hampson2
Abstract
Having a purpose in life has been consistently linked to subjective and objective health markers. Using
08251HPQ0010.1177/1359105317708251Journal of Health PsychologyHill et al.
2017
Article
Effectiveness of an Energy Management
Training Course on Employee Well-Being:
A Randomized Controlled Trial
Sai Krupa Das, PhD1
, Shawn T. Mason, PhD2
, Taylor A. Vail, BA1
,
Gail V. Rogers, MA1
, Kara A. Livingston, MPH1
, Jillian G. Whelan, BS1
,
Meghan K. Chin, BS1
, Caroline M. Blanchard, BS1
, Jennifer L. Turgiss, DrPH2
,
and Susan B. Roberts, PhD1
Abstract
Purpose:Programs focused on employee well-being have gained momentum in recent years, but few have been rigorously
evaluated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention designed to enhance vitality and purpose in life by assessing
changes in employee quality of life (QoL) and health-related behaviors.
Design:A worksite-based randomized controlled trial.
Setting:Twelve eligible worksites (8 randomized to the intervention group [IG] and 4 to the wait-listed control group [CG]).
Participants:Employees (n ¼ 240) at the randomized worksites.
Intervention:A 2.5-day group-based behavioral intervention.
Measures:Rand Medical Outcomes Survey (MOS) 36-item Short-Form (SF-36) vitality and QoL measures, Ryff Purpose in Life
Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies questionnaire for depression, MOS sleep, body weight, physical activity, diet quality, and
blood measures for glucose and lipids (which were used to calculate a cardiometabolic risk score) obtained at baseline and 6 months.
Analysis:General linear mixed models were used to compare least squares means or prevalence differences in outcomes
between IG and CG participants.
Results:As compared to CG, IG had a significantly higher mean 6-month change on the SF-36 vitality scale (P ¼ .003) and scored
in the highest categories for 5 of the remaining 7 SF-36 domains: general health (P ¼ .014), mental health (P ¼ .027), absence of
role limitations due to physical problems (P ¼ .026), and social functioning (P ¼ .007). The IG also had greater improvements in
purpose in life (P < .001) and sleep quality (index I, P ¼ .024; index II, P ¼ .021). No statistically significant changes were observed
for weight, diet, physical activity, or cardiometabolic risk factors.
Conclusion:An intensive 2.5-day intervention showed improvement in employee QoL and well-being over 6 months.
Keywords
employee wellness program, well-being intervention, behavior change intervention, quality of life, purpose in life
Purpose
Over 153 million US civilian adults are employed.1
The
increasingly poor physical and psychological health of
employees is a substantial burden to employers, swelling
health-care costs and reducing workforce productivity.
Annually, reduced productivity due to depression symptoms
alone cost US$44 billion,2
while obesity-related absenteeism
accounts for another US$10.3 billion.3
Nevertheless, adults
spend a substantial amount of time at work and employers
are stakeholders in employee well-being, which is “a
dynamic concept that includes subjective, social,
and psychological dimensions as well as health-related
behaviors.”4
Therefore, employer-based well-being initia-
tives have unique potential to positively influence physical
and psychological health.
1
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts
University, Boston, MA, USA
2
Johnson & Johnson, Health and Wellness Solutions Inc, New Brunswick, NJ,
USA
Corresponding Author:
Sai Krupa Das, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Email: sai.das@tufts.edu
American Journal of Health Promotion
1-13
ª The Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/0890117118776875
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Effectiveness of an Energy Management
Training Course on Employee Well-Being:
A Randomized Controlled Trial
Sai Krupa Das, PhD1
, Shawn T. Mason, PhD2
, Taylor A. Vail, BA1
,
Gail V. Rogers, MA1
, Kara A. Livingston, MPH1
, Jillian G. Whelan, BS1
,
Meghan K. Chin, BS1
, Caroline M. Blanchard, BS1
, Jennifer L. Turgiss, DrPH2
,
and Susan B. Roberts, PhD1
Abstract
Purpose:Programs focused on employee well-being have gained momentum in recent years, but few ha
evaluated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention designed to enhance vitality and purpos
changes in employee quality of life (QoL) and health-related behaviors.
Design:A worksite-based randomized controlled trial.
Setting:Twelve eligible worksites (8 randomized to the intervention group [IG] and 4 to the wait-listed co
Participants:Employees (n ¼ 240) at the randomized worksites.
Intervention:A 2.5-day group-based behavioral intervention.
Measures:Rand Medical Outcomes Survey (MOS) 36-item Short-Form (SF-36) vitality and QoL measures,
Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies questionnaire for depression, MOS sleep, body weight, physical activ
blood measures for glucose and lipids (which were used to calculate a cardiometabolic risk score) obtained at ba
Analysis:General linear mixed models were used to compare least squares means or prevalence differ
between IG and CG participants.
Results:As compared to CG, IG had a significantly higher mean 6-month change on the SF-36 vitality scale (P
in the highest categories for 5 of the remaining 7 SF-36 domains: general health (P ¼ .014), mental health (P
role limitations due to physical problems (P ¼ .026), and social functioning (P ¼ .007). The IG also had great
purpose in life (P < .001) and sleep quality (index I, P ¼ .024; index II, P ¼ .021). No statistically significant cha
for weight, diet, physical activity, or cardiometabolic risk factors.
Conclusion:An intensive 2.5-day intervention showed improvement in employee QoL and well-being ove
Keywords
employee wellness program, well-being intervention, behavior change intervention, quality of life, purpose i
Purpose behaviors.”4
Therefore, employer-based
American
1-13
ª The Au
Reprints a
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DOI: 10.1
journals.sa
Purpose in life and incidence of sleep disturbances
Eric S. Kim1,3 • Shelley D. Hershner2,3 • Victor J. Strecher2,3
Received: September 7, 2014 / Accepted: March 19, 2015 / Published online: March 31, 2015
Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015
Abstract Purpose in life has been linked with better
mental health, physical health, and health behaviors, but
the association between purpose and sleep is understudied.
Sleep disturbances increase with age and as the number of
Keywords Purpose in life Á Meaning
Sleep Á Sleep disturbance
J Behav Med (2015) 38:590–597
DOI 10.1007/s10865-015-9635-4
Purpose in life and reduced risk of myocardial infarction
among older U.S. adults with coronary heart disease:
a two-year follow-up
Eric S. Kim • Jennifer K. Sun • Nansook Park •
Laura D. Kubzansky • Christopher Peterson
J Behav Med
DOI 10.1007/s10865-012-9406-4
Purpose in life and reduced risk of myocardial infarction
among older U.S. adults with coronary heart disease:
a two-year follow-up
Eric S. Kim • Jennifer K. Sun • Nansook Park •
Laura D. Kubzansky • Christopher Peterson
J Behav Med
DOI 10.1007/s10865-012-9406-4
Purpose in Life as a Predictor of Mortality across Adulthood
Patrick L. Hill1 and Nicholas A. Turiano2
1Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
2Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
HHS Public Access
Author manuscript
Psychol Sci. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2015 July 01.
Published in final edited form as:
Psychol Sci. 2014 July ; 25(7): 1482–1486. doi:10.1177/0956797614531799.
Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin
2014, Vol. 40(11) 1507–1516
© 2014 by the Society for Personality
and Social Psychology, Inc
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DOI: 10.1177/0146167214549540
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Article
One generation from now, White non-Hispanic individuals
will no longer constitute the majority of the U.S. population.
Although Whites will continue to comprise the single largest
ethnic1
group, current projections suggest that ethnic minori-
ties will collectively achieve majority status by 2042 (U.S.
Census Bureau, 2011). As a majority, Whites have been rela-
tively unencumbered with essential introspection into diver-
sity or interactions with people of color (McIntosh, 1998;
the effects of diversity has frequently evidenced negative
psychological consequences. Empirical studies have linked
exposure to greater ethnic diversity with increased stress and
anxiety (e.g., Schulz et al., 2008; Wickrama & Bryant, 2003)
and negative civic and redistributive attitudes (Alesina & La
Ferrara, 2000, 2002; Costa & Kahn, 2003; Delhey & Newton,
2005; Putnam, 2007). Putnam’s (2007) prominent study of
trust in diverse settings draws a further damaging picture of
549540PSPXXX10.1177/0146167214549540Personality and Social Psychology BulletinBurrow et al.
research-article2014
Purpose in Life as a Resource for
Increasing Comfort With Ethnic
Diversity
Anthony L. Burrow1
, Maclen Stanley2
, Rachel Sumner1
,
and Patrick L. Hill3
Abstract
Emerging demographic trends signal that White Americans will soon relinquish their majority status. As Whites’ acclimation to
an increasingly diverse society is poised to figure prominently in their adjustment, identifying sources of greater comfort with
diversity is important. Three studies (N = 519) revealed evidence that purpose in life bolsters comfort with ethnic diversity
among White adults. Specifically, dispositional purpose was positively related to diversity attitudes and attenuated feelings
of threat resulting from viewing demographic projections of greater diversity. In addition, when primed experimentally,
purpose attenuated participants’ preferences for living in an ethnically homogeneous-White city, relative to a more diverse
city when shown maps displaying ethno-demographic information. These effects persisted after controlling for positive affect
and perceived connections to ethnic out-groups, suggesting the robust influence of purpose. Potential benefits of situating
purpose as a unique resource for navigating an increasingly diverse society are discussed.
Keywords
purpose in life, ethnic diversity, diversity attitudes, decision making
Received January 7, 2014; revision accepted August 8, 2014
Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin
2014, Vol. 40(11) 1507–
© 2014 by the Society fo
and Social Psychology, In
Reprints and permission
sagepub.com/journalsPe
DOI: 10.1177/01461672
pspb.sagepub.com
Article
One generation from now, White non-Hispanic individuals
will no longer constitute the majority of the U.S. population.
Although Whites will continue to comprise the single largest
the effects of diversity has frequently evidenced
psychological consequences. Empirical studies ha
exposure to greater ethnic diversity with increased
549540PSPXXX10.1177/0146167214549540Personality and Social Psychology BulletinBurrow et al.
research-article2014
Purpose in Life as a Resource for
Increasing Comfort With Ethnic
Diversity
Anthony L. Burrow1
, Maclen Stanley2
, Rachel Sumner1
,
and Patrick L. Hill3
Abstract
Emerging demographic trends signal that White Americans will soon relinquish their majority status. As Whites’ accl
an increasingly diverse society is poised to figure prominently in their adjustment, identifying sources of greater com
diversity is important. Three studies (N = 519) revealed evidence that purpose in life bolsters comfort with ethnic
among White adults. Specifically, dispositional purpose was positively related to diversity attitudes and attenuate
of threat resulting from viewing demographic projections of greater diversity. In addition, when primed exper
purpose attenuated participants’ preferences for living in an ethnically homogeneous-White city, relative to a mo
city when shown maps displaying ethno-demographic information. These effects persisted after controlling for posi
and perceived connections to ethnic out-groups, suggesting the robust influence of purpose. Potential benefits o
purpose as a unique resource for navigating an increasingly diverse society are discussed.
Keywords
purpose in life, ethnic diversity, diversity attitudes, decision making
Received January 7, 2014; revision accepted August 8, 2014

38. Socrates
The
unexamined life
isn’t worth living

39. AristotlePlato
The
purposeless life
isn’t worth
examining

43. Top Predictors

44. Top Predictors

45. OUT OF WHACK!

57. 418
72
Status
0%
20%
40%
60%
How's It
Going?
Energy Willpower Stress Life Balance Sleep Presence Activity Creativity Eating Personal
Alignment
Family
Alignment
Work
Alignment
Community
Alignment
Percent of users whose average rating in their last 5 charts was 'Good' or 'Great', by factor.
Thriving Users
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
How's It
Going?
Energy Willpower Stress Life Balance Sleep Presence Activity Creativity Eating Personal
Alignment
Family
Alignment
Work
Alignment
Community
Alignment
Percent of users whose average rating in their last 5 charts was was 'Not Good' or 'Awful', by factor.
Struggling Users
LEADERSHIP?
HOME
POPULAT
ION
PROFILE
SNAPSH
OT
ADMIN LOGOUT
GROUPS
PERFORMANCE INSIGHTS
Meaningful work
Engagement
Life balance
Resilience
Collaboration
Stress
Willpower
Creativity
Presence
All Groups
Manufacturing
Retail
✓ Leadership
Design
Operations
Finance
Europe
United States
Asia Pacific

58. Organization Insights
Dashboard
Personal
Life Coach
418
72
Status
0%
20%
40%
60%
How's It
Going?
Energy Willpower Stress Life Balance Sleep Presence Activity Creativity Eating Personal
Alignment
Family
Alignment
Work
Alignment
Community
Alignment
Percent of users whose average rating in their last 5 charts was 'Good' or 'Great', by factor.
Thriving Users
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
How's It
Going?
Energy Willpower Stress Life Balance Sleep Presence Activity Creativity Eating Personal
Alignment
Family
Alignment
Work
Alignment
Community
Alignment
Percent of users whose average rating in their last 5 charts was was 'Not Good' or 'Awful', by factor.
Struggling Users
GROUP
PERFORMANCE INSIGHTS
Your Personal Life Coach
for What Matters Most

59. Wellness Purpose

60. Population
Precision
Wellness Purpose

61. Population
Wellness
Organization
Precision
Purpose
Individual
Performance
through Purpose

62. Customers

65. • Only four know which goal they’re going toward
• Only two of them care
• Only two know which position they’re supposed to be playing when
they get on the field
• Only two team players believe that their efforts on the field could
make a difference
• And all but two players would be just as likely to be rooting for the
other team as their own
Football team

67. Vic Strecher, PhD, MPH
Professor, University of Michigan
School of Public Health
Founder and CEO, JOOL Health
Transformative Technology
to Enhance Purpose in Life