Looking for love? Try finding purpose as well

The world of online dating can be overwhelming with the dizzying array of options for attracting a partner, but new research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that those looking for love may have more success if they also seek a sense of purpose in life. Researcher Isabella D’Ottone, in the lab of Patrick […]

Fighting loneliness by finding purpose

A new study co-authored by Patrick Hill, PhD, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences, offers an important message for our times: A sense of purpose in life — whether it’s a high-minded quest to make a difference or a simple hobby with personal meaning — can offer potent protection against loneliness.  “Loneliness is known to be one […]

Fighting loneliness by finding purpose

A new study co-authored by Patrick Hill, PhD, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences, offers an important message for our times: A sense of purpose in life — whether it’s a high-minded quest to make a difference or a simple hobby with personal meaning — can offer potent protection against loneliness.  “Loneliness is known to be one […]

Hill receives grant for healthy aging research

Patrick Hill, PhD, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, received a three-year $237,970 grant from Velux Stiftung, a science-funding foundation based in Switzerland, for research on future time perspective as a motivator for healthy aging practices. Originally published on The Source.

Social interactions tied to sense of purpose

Having positive social interactions is associated with older adults’ sense of purposefulness, which can fluctuate from day to day, according to research from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. And although these findings, published in the July 2022 issue of the American Journal of Geriatric […]

Juvenile justice: ‘We are coming up short’

Does being sentenced to juvenile detention or community service truly serve as a means to rehabilitation? One mechanism to rehabilitate a young person deemed by the justice system to be on the path to a life of crime is to change behaviors associated with crime. A research team at Washington University in St. Louis tested […]

The science of living with purpose

Patrick Hill investigates the effects of living purposefully on health, wealth, and wellness – and how to maintain one’s purpose through life’s transitions. Whether you spend your weekdays as an employee, retiree, caretaker, student, or something else entirely, a typical morning likely includes some familiar components. Wake up, perhaps have a cup of coffee, and […]

Mirror, mirror on the monitor

Most people wouldn’t sit in front of a mirror for hours a day, checking themselves out, but the COVID-19 pandemic has found many doing just that. Video chatting services such as Zoom have become a common way to keep in touch with friends, family and co-workers. But it’s also forced people to sit face-to-face with […]

Children who battle mothers may struggle to find purpose as adults, study finds

Parent-child conflict in elementary years may hamper ‘adulting’ in early 20s From the WashU Newsroom… Children who have more conflict in relationships with their mothers during early years of elementary school may find it more difficult to find a sense of purpose in life as they reach adulthood, suggests new research from Washington University in […]