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This study focused on the validation of the Revised Sense of Purpose Scale (SOPS-2) with emerging adults. We used a sample of 681 college students aged between 18 and 25 years old. The results provided evidence for the factorial validity of the SOPS-2 designed to measure awareness of purpose, awakening to purpose, and altruistic purpose. The SOPS-2 can be used as a valid and reliable measure of sense of purpose among those in the age group of 18-25 years.
The developmental period from 18 to 25 years of age-during which many young people leave the dependency of childhood and adolescence and explore future life directions-has been designated as emerging adulthood (Arnett, 2000). According to Arnett (2000) , "emerging adulthood is a time of life when many different directions remain possible, when little about the future has been decided for certain, when the scope of independent exploration of life's possibilities is greater for most people than it will be at any other period of the life course" (p. 469). The time period of emerging adulthood also overlaps with the phase of late adolescence (18 to 20 years). The explorations of late adolescence and emerging adulthood can cause feelings of rejection, fear of failure, lack of confidence, disappointment, and disillusionment, resulting in at-risk behaviors (Arnett, 2000). According to Damon (2008), the difference between young people who feel directionless and stalled in their development and those who feel engaged and motivated can be explained by whether they have found a compelling sense of purpose in life. Research has also shown that a strong sense of purpose contributes to emerging adults' identity commitment, hope, positive affect, and future well-being (Burrow, O'Dell, & Hill, 2010; Hill, Burrow, Brandenberger, Lapsley, & Quaranto, 2010; Hill, Edmonds, Peterson, Luyckx, & Andrews, 2016).
Although purpose in emerging adulthood has been positively associated with several indicators of positive development, existing measures of purpose are limited in their conceptual clarity, time sensitivity, and psychometric research. Thus, validating a conceptually and empirically sound measure of sense of purpose among those in the age group of 18 to 25 years, could contribute to the literature on the nature, role, and development of sense of purpose among emerging adults. The aim of this study was to validate the...