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How Do Us College Students' Sense Of Life Purpose Relate To Their Emotional Expectations Toward Community Work In Service-Learning Courses?, Seana Moran, Randi L. Garcia

Psychology: Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Few studies consider how purpose in life predicts emotions related to community service in college courses even though a purpose in life, a “compass” for finding opportunities to make meaningful prosocial contributions, should motivate students to serve. METHOD: Multilevel structural equation modeling estimated direct and indirect effects of survey responses regarding students’ past service experience, sense of purpose, and searching for purpose on their emotional expectations for service-learning before starting. RESULTS: Controlling for age, gender, extrinsic motivation, and characteristics of universities and courses, students’ past service experience and two purpose variables positively related to expected positive emotions toward service …