ISSEP-2025-01

GRANT ID#: ISSEP-2025-01

GRANT TITLE: Writing a Meaning for Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Single-Session Narrative Intervention to Promote “a World of Meaning” in Young Adults

GRANTEE: Colgate University

PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR: Rebecca Shiner

CO-PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR: William Monti

GRANT AMOUNT: USD $6,445.71

DURATION OF GRANT PROJECT: April 15, 2025 – August 15, 2025

Description of the Project

 

Executive summary:

This study tests a single-session narrative intervention designed to enhance a sense of meaning in life among young adults (ages 18-25). Emerging adulthood is a pivotal time for developing narrative identity, integrating past, present, and future into a cohesive life story that fosters coherence, purpose, and existential mattering. Delivered online to an international sample via Prolific, the intervention guides participants through autobiographical writing exercises exploring the significance of specific personal memories and helping them build a unified life narrative. A randomized controlled trial will compare this intervention to a neutral control condition. Outcomes measured at baseline, two weeks, and one month include meaning, depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction, with mediators such as self-concept clarity, positive affect, and purpose assessed immediately post-intervention. By targeting diverse participants and leveraging brief online intervention methods, this study aims to provide evidence for the effectiveness of scalable approaches to promoting meaning and well-being in young adults. Reflecting Ernest Becker's insights on the universal drive for significance, this intervention could support mental health and identity development in this critical life stage.

 

Itemized budget:

Budget item estimates were obtained from Prolific pricing and are detailed below:

  • Intervention Session: For a study that takes 45 minutes and requires 564 participants paid at the rate of $8.00 per hour ($6.00 per participant), the total cost is $4834.29.

  • 2-Week Follow-Up and 1-Month Follow-Up: For a study that takes 5 minutes and requires 564 participants paid $1.00, the total cost is $805.71 for each follow up, or $1611.42.

The total amount approved is USD $6,445.71.

Kenneth Vail