Abstract
Parents of children with Down Syndrome (DS; N = 87) wrote about current goals and goals they had before they learned their child would have DS (lost goals) and completed measures of salience of the narrative, subjective well-being (SWB), and stress-related growth. Independent raters scored the narratives on levels of elaboration. We conducted a follow-up study 2 years later (N = 42)) using the SWB and stress-related growth measures. There was an association between investing in current goals and heightened SWB, whereas salience of lost goals related weakly to reduced SWB. However, in the follow-up study, there was an association between investing in lost goals and increased stress-related growth. These results suggest that hopes for the future enhance SWB, whereas over time considering loss relates to increased feelings of personal growth. Growth and well-being may be independent of each other.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Antonovsky, A. (1988). Unraveling the Mystery of Health, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.
Antonovsky, A. (1993). The structure and properties of the sense of coherence scale. Soc. Sci. Med. 36: 725-733.
Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychol. Bull. 95: 542-575.
Diener, E., and Emmons, R. A. (1984). The independence of positive and negative affect. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 47: 1105-1117.
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., and Griffin, G. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. J. Pers. Assess. 49: 71-75.
Emmons, R. A. (1986). Personal strivings: An approach to personality and subjective well-being. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 51: 1058-1068.
Emmons, R. A. (1991). Personal strivings, daily life events, and psychological and physical well-being. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 59: 453-472.
Emmons, R. A. (1999). The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns: Motivation and Spirituality in Personality. NY: Guilford.
Emmons, R. A., and King, L. A. (1989). Personal striving differentiation and affective reactivity. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 56: 478-484.
Harmon-Jones, E., and Mills, J. (Eds. 1999). Cognitive Dissonance: Progress on a Pivotal Theory in Social Psychology. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
Janoff-Bulman, R., and Berg, M. (1998). Disillusionment and the creation of value: From traumatic losses to existential gains. In Harvey, J. (ed.), Perspectives on Loss: A Sourcebook. Brunner-Mazel, Philadelphia, PA, pp. 35-47.
King, L. A., Ramsey, C. M., Smith, N. G., and Bell, C. G. (2000). Lost and found possible selves, subjective wellbeing, and ego development. Manuscript submitted for publication, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX.
King, L. A., Scollon, C. K., Ramsey, C., and May, T. (2000). Stories of life transition: Subjective well-being and ego development in parents of children with Down Syndrome. J. Res. Pers. 34: 509-536.
Klinger, E. (1977). Meaning and Void: Inner Experience and the Incentives in People's Lives. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Klinger, E., Barta, S. G., and Maxeiner, M. E. (1980). Motivational correlates of thought content frequency and commitment. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 39: 1222-1237.
Kuhl, J., and Helle, P. (1986). Motivational and volitional determinants of depression: The degenerated-intention hypothesis. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 95: 247-251.
Markus, H., and Ruvolo, A. (1989). Possible selves: Personalized representations of goals. In Pervin, L. A. (ed.), Goal Concepts in Personality and Social Psychology (pp. 211-242), Erbaum, Hillsdale, NJ, pp. 211-242
McAdams, D. P., Ruetzel, K., and Foley, J. M. (1986). Complexity and generativity at mid-life: Relations among social motives, ego development, and adults' plans for the future. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 50: 800-807.
Omodei, M. M., and Wearing, A. J. (1990). Need satisfaction and involvement in personal projects: Toward an integrative model of subjective well-being. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 59: 762-769.
Park, C. L., Cohen, L. H., and Murch, R. L. (1996). Assessment and prediction of stress-related growth. J. Pers. 64: 71-105.
Pham, L. B., and Taylor, S. E. (1999). From thought to action: Effects of process-versus outcome-based mental simulations on performance. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 25: 250-260.
Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the Self., Basic Books, New York.
Scheier, M. F., and Carver, C. S. (1985). Optimism, coping, and health: Assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies. Health Psychol. 4: 219-247.
Silver, R. S., Boon, C., and Stones, M. H. (1983). Searching for meaning in misfortune: Making sense of incest. J. Soc. Issues, 39: 81-102.
Sloper, P., Knussen, C., Turner, S., and Cunningham, C. (1990). Factors related to stress and satisfaction with life in families of children with down syndrome. J. Child. Psychol. 32: 655-676.
Stewart, A. J., and Vandewater, E. A. (1999).“If I had it to do over again...”: Midlife review, midcourse corrections, and women's well-being in midlife. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 76: 270-283.
Tangney, J. P., and Salovey, P. (1999). Problematic social emotions: Shame, guilt, jealousy, and envy. In Kowalski, R., and Leary, M. R. (eds.), The Social Psychology of Emotional and Behavioral Problems: Interfaces of Social and Clinical Psychology. APA, Washington, DC, pp. 167-195.
Taylor, S. E., and Armor, D. A. (1996). Positive illusions and coping with adversity. J. Pers. 64: 873-898.
Zirkel, S., and Cantor, N. (1990). Personal construal of life tasks: Those who struggle for independence. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 58: 172-185.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
King, L.A., Patterson, C. Reconstructing Life Goals After the Birth of a Child With Down Syndrome: Finding Happiness and Growing. International Journal of Rehabilitation and Health 5, 17–30 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012955018489
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012955018489