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Exemplar Research

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Purpose in Life

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Abstract

While existing methodologies provide important information about deficient and typical forms of purpose, an exemplar methodology is needed to understand what complete or nearly complete development of the construct looks like in practice. The present chapter offers a working definition of the exemplar methodology and explains why these kinds of studies are necessary for a complete understanding of human development in general and of the purpose construct in particular. Additionally, this chapter features findings from a five-year longitudinal study of a small sample of youth purpose exemplars. Findings focus on characteristics and experiences of young purpose exemplars, the relationship between purpose development and identity formation among purpose exemplars, and the development of purpose over time. Implications of these findings for more typical adolescents who exhibit less intense, but more common forms of purpose are also addressed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ball State University, Muncie, USA

    Kendall Cotton Bronk

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  1. Kendall Cotton Bronk
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Correspondence to Kendall Cotton Bronk .

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© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Bronk, K.C. (2014). Exemplar Research. In: Purpose in Life. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7491-9_8

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