Abstract Purpose has been shown in adolescence and young adulthood to be an important component of positive development; however, little is known about its prevalence and function in later life. Surveys from a large (N = 1,198), nationally representative sample of U.S. adults ages 50-92 were collected to explore the prevalence of purpose in midlife (ages 50-64) through later life (ages 65+), as well as demographic differences and associations with indicators of positive adaptation and development. Results showed 31% of all participants—midlife: 30%, later life: 33%—met our established criteria for purpose. Few demographic differences were found, though the prevalence of purpose was higher among people of color in both midlife and later life. Additionally, those who were purposeful were more likely to be higher on measures of positive adaptation and development across the sample. Suggestions for future research on purpose in later life are presented, and preliminary insights for practitioners in the fields of aging and later adult development are offered.

中文翻译：

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中年和晚年超越自我的目的轮廓

摘要 目的在青春期和青年期已被证明是积极发展的重要组成部分；然而，人们对其晚年的流行和功能知之甚少。收集了来自 50-92 岁美国成年人的大型 (N = 1,198) 全国代表性样本的调查，以探讨中年（50-64 岁）到晚年（65 岁以上）的目标流行率，以及人口统计学差异以及与积极适应和发展指标的关联。结果显示，所有参与者中有 31%——中年：30%，晚年：33%——符合我们既定的目标标准。几乎没有发现人口统计学差异，尽管有色人种在中年和晚年的目标流行率更高。此外，那些有目的的人更有可能在整个样本中对积极适应和发展的衡量标准更高。提出了对未来生活目的研究的建议，并为老龄化和成年后期发展领域的从业者提供了初步见解。