Date of Completion

5-4-2012

Degree Type

Honors Thesis - Campus Access

Discipline

Psychology (PSYC)

First Advisor

Ricardo A. Machón, Ph.D.

Abstract

This project assesses the development of personal values in the individual members of the Psychology Capstone Seminar for the Fall 2011 semester, over the course of the lifetime through artistic representations of those values and how happiness levels have respectively changed over time. We categorized the lifetime in four different stages of elementary school, middle school, high school, and the present college-age. It was my belief that values would be defined by more materialistic representations in an individual's younger years, when outside social influences are most prominent and effective, and that the happiness levels at these ages would be the lowest. Conversely, when values were more abstract and self-actualizing, individuals rated themselves as happier. After asking my classmates to create drawings that represented what their reflections on their values at those age ranges, my findings were consistent with these hypotheses, and I believe this was due to the attitude of contentment and self-acceptance that has been achieved at this time in life. The findings and implications of this study present a hopeful outlook that the values that have been constant over time are guiding their decisions and the people that they will become.

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