Big idea. Purpose and motivation are central to how people describe a good life. This module teaches you to separate a theory from the evidence for it, to read a relative risk, and to see what the best-known planning technique can and cannot promise.
Outcomes served. O4 (mechanisms and evidence), O5 (read a study critically), O6 (run and log your habit experiment).
Plan your six hours
| Part | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Opener and orientation (this page) | 15 |
| M7.L1 Purpose in life and risk: reading a relative risk | 55 |
| M7.L2 What motivates us? Autonomy, competence and relatedness | 50 |
| M7.L3 Goals and if-then plans | 50 |
| M7.L4 Comparing effect measures | 50 |
| Practice set | 35 |
| Lab: Test a purpose-and-health claim | 50 |
| Mastery checkpoint | 30 |
| Discussion prompt and recap | 25 |
| Total | 360 (6 hours) |
Assumed. Modules 1 to 6, in particular odds ratios, effect sizes, direction of cause and your habit protocol.
Where this module fits. Habit week 4 of your capstone experiment runs alongside this module. This is your last week of data: keep logging, change nothing, and prepare for the report in Module 8.
Where this topic appears in practice. Employers, schools and clinics talk about purpose and motivation, and coaching programmes promise to build both. Researchers study how purpose relates to health and how planning relates to goal achievement.
A note on care. Questions about meaning and purpose can be personal. Course exercises are about reading evidence, not about assessing you. If this module raises difficult feelings, please speak to a qualified professional or someone you trust.