A Preliminary Investigation of Life Goal System and Its Relationship with Well-being among Chinese University Students

The aim of the present research was twofold: to explore the structure of university students’ goal system and to examine its association with well-being. In Study 1, in-depth interviews were conducted to examine important life goals of Chinese university students and how they were integrated. It identified 17 life goals and suggested that individuals organize their goals into a hierarchical system. Study 2 was a questionnaire survey (N = 301) designed based on the interview findings to examine the associations between goal system characteristics and well-being. The results showed that goal structural attributes such as clarity and integration were significantly related to well-being, and that the size of goal system, structural clarity, centralization and flexibility attenuated the relationships between several goal properties (e.g., goal social support) and well-being. This research confirmed the validity and usefulness of a hierarchical goal structure in the investigation of personal goals and well-being.