The Multilevel Personality-to-Purpose (MPP) Framework: Promoting Purpose in Life Through Fulfilling Basic Psychological Needs, Strengths, Values, Identity and Passion
P. F. Jonah Li and Y. Joel Wong
Citation: Li, P. F. J., & Wong, Y. J. (2024). The Multilevel Personality-to-Purpose (MPP) Framework: Promoting Purpose in Life Through Fulfilling Basic Psychological Needs, Strengths, Values, Identity and Passion. European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 8, 7, 1-13. https://www.nationalwellbeingservice.org/volumes/volume-8-2024/volume-8-article-7
Processing dates: Submitted 18 October 2023; Resubmitted 5 April 2024; Accepted 29 April 2024; Published 12 July 2024
Abstract
Background: Purpose in life (purpose), a psychological phenomenon closely associated with thriving in positive psychology, is a multifaceted construct that may be best promoted through multilevel interventions. Although recent interventions have generated encouraging findings, positive psychologists have criticised existing interventions for missing evidence-based theoretical frameworks and for omitting specifications of relevant key constructs and change mechanisms, posing challenges to promote purpose more effectively.
Objectives: The goal of this article is to present the Multilevel Personality-to-Purpose (MPP) Framework with its key components and change mechanisms to promote purpose by synthesising the theoretical and empirical literature on purpose promotion.
The Proposed Theoretical Framework: The authors explicated five multilevel components, namely, basic psychological needs (needs), character strengths (strengths), intrinsic values (values), identity, and passion to promote purpose, based on existing theoretical and empirical insights. The change mechanism of the Multilevel Personality-to-Purpose (MPP) Framework is that through situating purpose within a multilevel personality structure that includes needs, strengths, values, identity and passion; based on personality integration principles, namely, needs satisfaction, personality (goal self-) concordance, coherence and congruence, purpose may be best promoted. Throughout the article, empirical evidence for the MPP Framework is presented.
Discussion: Limitations and future research directions of the MPP Framework such as testable hypotheses and practical implications for promoting purpose are discussed.
Keywords: purpose in life, optimal functioning, change mechanisms, positive psychology, the Multilevel Personality in Context Model (MPIC), the Multilevel Personality-to-Purpose (MPP) Framework
Biographies
P. F. Jonah Li, Ph.D. is with the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington Tacoma, USA.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7023-4919
Y. Joel Wong, Ph.D. is with the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3006-6871