Meaning and Purpose, Material and Financial Stability, and Flourishing: Implications for Higher Education Leadership in Changing Populations (PhD Dissertation)

This study investigates the longitudinal relationships between psychological resources, economic stability, and overall human flourishing among U.S. adults. Grounded in VanderWeele’s (2017) integrative model, the project examines how two specific domains, meaning and purpose and financial and material stability, predict overall flourishing outcomes. Specifically, the research aims to determine if educational attainment serves as a moderating context that strengthens or attenuates these associations. By utilizing Wave 1 and 2 data from the Global Flourishing Study (GFS) U.S. cohort, this project seeks to provide higher education leaders and policymakers with empirical evidence to design interventions that foster sustained well-being across diverse populations.