The sense of purpose in life and motivation for seeking it in the pupils of “The Youth House SOS ”

Abstract

Shaping a sense of purpose in life, as well as motivation for seeking it, is a remarkably important educational task. The youths in social institutions have often undergone traumatic experiences in their childhood; they are susceptible to disturbances in the development of the personality aspects responsible for setting up life goals and values, experiencing satisfaction, and engaging in proper social interactions. The aim of this article is to reveal the level and the nature of the sense of purpose in life of the pupils in ‘The Youth House SOS ’, as well as the degree of motivation for seeking it. The research was conducted with the use of J.C. Crumbaugh and L.T. Maholick’s ‘Purpose in Life test’ (PI L) and J.C. Crumbaugh’s ‘Seeking of Noetic Goals test’ (SONG ). The research involved 34 youths. The tests have revealed a medium level of the sense of purpose in life, as well as motivation for seeking it. Moreover, many respondents expressed the need for friends and family, who surface frequently in their responses.