Student Academic Engagement and Burnout Amidst COVID-19: The Role of Purpose Orientations and Disposition Towards Gratitude in Life

Validation of the Ukrainian versions of two life purpose scales: Revised sense of purpose in life scale (SOPS-2U) and specific purpose orientations (SPO-U)

This work focused on the translation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of two widely used scales for assessing sense of purpose in life - the Revised Sense of Purpose Scale (SOPS-2) and the Specific Purpose Orientations (SPO) scale - in the Ukrainian language. The SOPS-2 consisted of 14 items measuring three dimensions of purpose: awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose. Meanwhile, the SPO included 12 items assessing three types of purpose: others-growth, self-growth, and career-focused purpose orientations. Renamed as the Revised Sense of Purpose Scale - Ukrainian Version (SOPS-2U) and the Specific Purpose Orientations - Ukrainian Version (SPO-U), these two scales underwent a thorough translation process by two multilingual scholars proficient in both Ukrainian and English languages, employing the committee approach. Then through analyses of two datasets, the factorial validity, construct validity, and reliability of the SOPS-2U and SPO-U were established. These translated scales provide reliable and valid tools for assessing life purpose among Ukrainian-speaking adults.•Recognizing the profound impact of life purpose on adult wellbeing, the availability of a psychometrically robust measurement tool for assessing this construct in the Ukrainian language becomes crucial; thus, we translated and validated two such tools.•The Revised Sense of Purpose Scale - Ukrainian Version (SOPS-2U) is valid for assessing awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose dimensions in Ukrainian adults.•The Specific Purpose Orientations - Ukrainian Version (SPO-U) can be used with Ukrainian adults to further examine the specific types of purpose, such as others-growth, self-growth, and career-focused purpose orientations.

Thriving amidst adversity: Flourishing and grit in Ukrainian college students with strong life purpose before and after the onset of the Russian war in Ukraine

This multi-study examined the role of life purpose in the well-being of Ukrainian university students before (Study 1) and during the Russian war in Ukraine (Study 2) during the 2021-22 academic year using a cross-sectional design. University students from a city highly affected by the war, a region which borders Russia, completed measures of sense of purpose in life (awakening to purpose, awareness to purpose, altruistic purpose), specific purpose orientations (others-growth, self-growth, career-focused), flourishing, and grit (consistency of interests, perseverance of effort). Structural equation modeling was used to test four alternative path models. In Study 1 (N = 159), flourishing was positively predicted by all measures of purpose, except for awareness of purpose, which was a negative but weak predictor. Similar to flourishing, both dimensions of grit were positively predicted by career-focused purpose orientation above and beyond the overall sense of life purpose. Additionally, perseverance of effort was predicted positively by awakening to purpose. Consistent with Study 1, in Study 2 (N = 107), flourishing and perseverance of effort were positively predicted by career-focused purpose orientation above and beyond the overall sense of life purpose. Additionally, flourishing was positively predicted by awakening to purpose and others-growth purpose orientation. Overall, students with a strong life purpose reported high sense of flourishing and grit. Findings also highlighted the salient role of career-focused purpose orientation in students' well-being. It is thereby important to support students in exploring and connecting life's purpose with their career aspirations.

Crisis Experience and Purpose in Life in Men and Women: The Mediating Effect of Gratitude and Fear of COVID-19

AIM

This study investigated whether gratitude and fear of COVID-19 mediated the relationship between crisis experience during the pandemic and purpose in life in men and women.

METHODS

Six hundred and five participants aged between 18 and 60 years (M = 25.6; SD = 8.39) completed the Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation Scale-Short Form (GRAT-S), Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Purpose in Life Test (PIL). In addition, the respondents were questioned about life crises during the previous six months (e.g., the death of a loved one or illness).

RESULTS

Men and women differed in their endorsement of gratitude or fear of COVID-19 as a mediator. Women's experiences of the crisis related both directly and indirectly to purpose in life, with gratitude and fear of COVID-19 mediating this relationship. In men, only the indirect path, from crisis experience, through gratitude, to purpose in life, turned out to be significant.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that coping styles differ in men and women and, as a consequence, that crisis interventions need to take gender into account.