Are life goals invariant across different sociocultural and economic conditions? A study on a representative sample of adolescents

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study explored the similarities and differences in life goals among adolescents with varying socioeconomic status (SES), immigrant backgrounds and gender. Multi-group confirmatory bifactor analyses and latent mean difference tests were conducted on data from a representative sample of 3460 Italian adolescents. Our findings showed for the first time that the bifactor structure of life goals was invariant across different sociocultural and economic conditions. However, these conditions differentially influenced the importance adolescents placed on the various goals. Disadvantageous contexts increased the priority adolescents gave to extrinsic over intrinsic goals, with varying effects based on the type of threat, whether economic (low SES) or social (immigrant background). Boys were more extrinsically oriented and prioritized wealth, whereas girls were more intrinsically oriented but also valued an appealing image. While supporting the universality of the structure of life goals postulated by SDT, our findings revealed that sociocultural and economic conditions can lead to specific and different configurations of goals. Understanding these differences in this formative period is fundamental because it can help identify risky situations and promote healthier and more valuable aspirations in adolescents, enhancing their well-being and benefiting the entire community.