Purpose in life

2 papers8 findings

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

1 lab in 1 country

Funders: National Institute on Aging and 1 more

Humans2

Outcomes

Rate of change in physical activity

no changein humans1

1 study

Purpose in life has no effect on rate of change in physical activity in humans.
“Baseline purpose was associated with the intercept of physical activity but not change across the assessments.”
Humans3 yearsn = 747
The longitudinal relation between purpose in life and accelerometer-measured physical activity
Mental health and physical activity7 Feb 2026

Memory lapses

upin humans1

1 study

Purpose in life increases memory lapses in humans (b=.03, SE=.01, p=.002).
“associated with more reported memory lapses measured concurrently in the moment (b=.03, SE=.01, p=.002)”
Humansn = 1,573
Purpose in Life and Cognition: Momentary Associations From a Micro-Longitudinal Study of Daily Life
GSA 2025 abstract31 Dec 2025

Visual memory

no changein humans1

1 study

Purpose in life has no effect on visual memory in humans.
“momentary purpose was unrelated to visual memory.”
Humansn = 1,573
Purpose in Life and Cognition: Momentary Associations From a Micro-Longitudinal Study of Daily Life
GSA 2025 abstract31 Dec 2025

Concentration problems

downin humans1

1 study

Purpose in life decreases concentration problems in humans (b=-.10, SE=.01, p<.001).
“reported fewer problems with concentration (b=-.10, SE=.01, p<.001)”
Humansn = 1,573
Purpose in Life and Cognition: Momentary Associations From a Micro-Longitudinal Study of Daily Life
GSA 2025 abstract31 Dec 2025

Executive function

upin humans1

1 study

Purpose in life improves executive function in humans (b=-.16, SE=.05, p<.001).
“executive functioning (b=-.16, SE=.05, p<.001)”
Humansn = 1,573
Purpose in Life and Cognition: Momentary Associations From a Micro-Longitudinal Study of Daily Life
GSA 2025 abstract31 Dec 2025

Processing speed

upin humans1

1 study

Purpose in life improves processing speed in humans (b=-.05, SE=.02, p=.002).
“participants felt more purposeful than their average, they had faster processing speed (b=-.05, SE=.02, p=.002)”
Humansn = 1,573
Purpose in Life and Cognition: Momentary Associations From a Micro-Longitudinal Study of Daily Life
GSA 2025 abstract31 Dec 2025

Associations

Physical activity

upin humans1

1 study

Purpose in life is associated with physical activity in humans.
“Within-person, participants were more physically active at assessments when their purpose was higher than their average.”
HumansWithin-person associations at assessments with purpose above the individual's average3 yearsn = 747
The longitudinal relation between purpose in life and accelerometer-measured physical activity
Mental health and physical activity7 Feb 2026
Purpose in life predicts physical activity in humans (Median β=.08 across four physical activity metrics).
“purpose at baseline was associated prospectively with the four metrics measured one and two years later (median β=.08)”
Humansn = 747
The longitudinal relation between purpose in life and accelerometer-measured physical activity
Mental health and physical activity7 Feb 2026