- Dec 22, 2025
- by Juan Vazquez-Leddon
- Technology + Human Thriving
Scholars trace purpose through history to today’s insights
What is your purpose? It’s a question that you may have asked yourself before, perhaps using it as a compass for your life’s direction. Anthony Burrow, professor of psychology and director of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research (BCTR), studies purpose, a central, self-organizing life aim which influences one’s goals, behaviors, and sense of meaning. Studies show that purpose can positively impact one’s health, wellbeing and personal development.
People have theorized about purpose since
Charles Brainerd
My research and teaching are interwoven so that the two activities reinforce each other and so that, to the greatest extent possible, the latest research findings are integrated into the courses I teach. Throughout my career, my research and teaching have revolved around a single broad theme: the scientific study of human cognition. I have concentrated most extensively on the development of cognitive processes in normal and atypical children, but I have also published considerable research
