March 1, 1996Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Further Examining the American Dream: Differential Correlates of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Goals
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Discussion
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Implication
Cross-sectional study finds extrinsic aspirations link to poorer well-being across adults and students, indicating that prioritizing wealth and fame undermines psychological health.
Key Points
- Investigate how the relative prioritization and perceived attainment of extrinsic versus intrinsic life goals relate to psychological well-being, distress, and physical health.
- Evaluated adult community participants (Study 1) on the relative importance and perceived efficacy of extrinsic goals (wealth, fame, appearance) versus intrinsic goals (growth, relationships, community).
- Replicated the evaluation in a college cohort (Study 2) to assess generalizability while adding measures of narcissism and daily affect.
- Prioritizing extrinsic aspirations was linked to lower vitality and self-actualization, along with a higher prevalence of physical symptoms.
- Emphasizing intrinsic aspirations correlated with enhanced well-being, reduced psychological distress, and healthier daily emotional states.
- Extrinsic goal focus in students was specifically associated with elevated narcissism and poorer daily affective balance.
Cite This Study
Kasser et al. (1996) studied this question.