A transformative approach to scientific inquiry and innovation on purpose
Purpose and science belong together in the same sentence.
The Purpose Science and innovation Exchange (PSiX) unites the rigorous study and lived experience of purpose to forge pathways to discovery and knowledge sharing. Founded at Cornell Human Ecology and in strategic alliance with Purpose Commons, our work brings together researchers, community organizations, and policymakers to develop evidence-backed solutions to real-world challenges while deepening understanding of purpose as a transformative force in people’s lives.
Preliminary Research Update: The Contribution Project
We’re excited to share that PSiX and the Contribution Project were featured this week in The Washington Post, Smerconish on CNN and CNN International. We’re thrilled that this project has gained national attention as both a way for youth to make a difference and a model for others to do the same.
About the Study
While the Contribution Project began in 2019, it’s important to note that the formal research study of its impacts did not begin until 2023. The data currently available to us are preliminary and have not yet undergone peer review. At PSiX, we view peer review as an essential step in the research process because it ensures that findings are rigorously examined and alternative conclusions are carefully considered and potentially tested.
For this reason, we urge caution in drawing conclusions or making strong inferences from data that have not yet been reviewed by the academic community.
Early Observations
Through informal evaluations of contributors who participated prior to 2023, they told us about the varying impacts this project had on them. These early insights helped shape the current study design and inform how we understand youth contribution in practice.
Sharing and Next Steps
As we prepare our work for peer review, we are sharing our preliminary findings and updates at academic conferences, where the initial interest in the research findings first emerged.
Once our findings have undergone peer review, we look forward to sharing them more broadly.
Our Ongoing Focus
For now, our focus remains on supporting our partners at Purpose Commons, who are in charge of the Contribution Project, and continuing to empower young people to make meaningful contributions to their communities and the world, just as they have told us they want to.
Purpose Exemplars
Who embodies purpose depends on who you ask. For some, it's best seen in those on a grand mission that drives their every action. For others, it's observed among those exhibiting quiet moments of reflective contemplation of what they value most, before emerging clear and steadfast. We often recognize purpose in the stories we love. We see it in the characters whose sense of direction resonates with us, even when their paths differ wildly from our own.
Fictional characters offer a unique window into purpose. Unlike real-life public figures, whose works and impacts shape societies, fictional characters reveal their inner worlds to us in more imaginative ways. We see their motivations, struggles, and the full arc of how purpose shapes their choices. This makes them powerful exemplars for understanding what purposefulness actually looks like in action.
We want to know: Which fictional character strikes you as deeply purposeful?
Think of someone from a book, film, or play whose sense of purpose, however they express it, feels compelling or meaningful to you. It doesn't have to be a hero. It doesn't have to be someone whose purpose you'd want for yourself. Just someone whose purposefulness stands out.
Curious about purpose?
Start with Tether - a new publication dedicated to linking scientific insights on purpose with the richness of its lived experience. In its inaugural issue, you’ll find the foundational perspective that drove the creation of PSiX and seven guiding pillars for how purpose can be better studied, supported, and lived.
Steeped in a Tradition of Sustainable Research Partnerships.
PSiX emerges from the longstanding, trusted, and collaborative tradition of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell Human Ecology’s hub for accelerating connections between research, practice, and policy. Informed by this setting, PSiX is committed to pursuing authentic and sustainable research-practice partnerships where data and insights are shared among stakeholders, and high-quality research on purpose is used for positive public impact.
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Currently, purpose researchers lack meaningful opportunities to engage with one another and others, like youth-serving organizations and youth. Our solution is the Lab of Labs - a collaborative, dynamic network of researchers in purpose science distributed across partner institutions.
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Many barriers exist to maximizing the power of purpose in young people’s lives. Our solution is a novel collaboration with Purpose Commons, where we team up as sister organizations to elevate an understanding of purpose and explore strategies for cultivating it among young people.
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Purpose is an evidence-backed resource that many changemakers – from nonprofits to funders and other enterprises – recognize as an asset for improving outcomes. By collaborating with orgnanizations such as 4-H, GripTape, and The Contribution Project, we transform and expand the way purpose is understood, accessed, and developed.
Our Work
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Collaboration: The Contribution Project
Exploring how youth and young adults pursue and successfully navigate the challenges of making contributions that matter to them and others.
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Collaboration: Purpose and self-driven learning
Studying innovative learning environments - such as the Griptape program - that help youth discover and pursue their authentic interests.
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Publication: Purpose in the stress process
Our research explores how a sense of purpose can buffer against negative psychological and physiological effects of stressful encounters.
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Keynote: Purpose, 5 things to know
Dr. Anthony Burrow delivers a keynote address at the Cornell Alumni Leadership Council, in a talk entitled Purpose: 5 things to know, 3 things to question and 1 thing to actively avoid
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Publication: How purposeful are youth?
This paper reviews research evidence suggesting youth may be more purposeful than many adults often believe.
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Podcast: Hidden Brain - Cultivating your purpose
Dr. Anthony Burrow discusses the role of purpose as a resource for health and happiness on this podcast episode of Hidden Brain.
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Publication: Trajectories of youth purpose
For young people, having purpose can have an impact on their emotional well-being. This is especially true when given the opporutnity and mentorship to explore their purpose.
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Publication: The PATHS to purpose
A paper suggesting novel ways of viewing purpose as an enduring trait, habit, or temporary state of being.
Our Areas of Strategic Inquiry:
While PSiX pursues an expansive research and innovation agenda, we strategically prioritize four areas of inquiry where we believe purpose science is poised to have the greatest transformative impact. These areas guide our project selection, allowing us to build cohesive expertise in order to address our partners’ most pressing needs.
Youth Development & Adjustment
Investigating how young people initially develop and cultivate their sense of purpose, building foundations for lifelong engagement and resilience.
Health & Well-being
Exploring mechanisms through which purpose can enhance physical and mental health outcomes across diverse populations and community settings.
Technology & Learning
Leveraging technological innovations to scale purpose science applications and create accessible, personalized learning experiences.
Leadership & Career Development
Integrating purpose science into professional contexts to enhance leadership effectiveness, career growth, and organizational performance.