Motivation to Change Direction in Life with a Little Help from a Digital Companion or a Professional Assistance

Abstract

This article examines whether people are motivated to change their life direction at all, who is currently changing their purpose, and whether they prefer the assistance of a digital companion or a professional when changing their purpose. Adults (N = 792, 50.3% women) participated in a survey that addressed these questions. Across all participants, 53.4% said they wanted to change their life direction or were currently working on it, and among those respondents, 56.5% preferred support from a professional or digital companion. Results showed that lower life satisfaction, younger age, and identifying as a woman were associated with a greater likelihood of being motivated to change their purpose and a greater likelihood of actually making an effort to change their purpose, relative to not wanting to change their purpose. In addition, demographic variables helped distinguish participants who preferred support from a professional or a digital companion compared to those who did not.