Goal pursuit and eudaimonic well-being among university students: Metacognition as the mediator

This study investigated the relationship between goal-striving, goal-aspiration, metacognition, and eudaimonic wellbeing (EWB). Inspired by Aristotle’s teaching, the rationale for this study is that eudaimonic well-being is achievable through self-actualizing processes such as goal-striving and goal-aspiration and by exercise of reason. Goal-striving, metacognition (as a way of exercise of reason), and goal-aspiration (as an indicator of eudaimonic pursuits) were explored in relation to EWB. A mediation analysis of a sample of 513 university students (Mage = 25.07, SD = 7.21) indicated that metacognition partially mediated the relationship between goal-striving and EWB for the full sample (p < .001) and goal-aspiration moderated this relationship. High goal-aspiration indicated a full mediation while low goal-aspiration indicated only a partial mediation. The finding suggests that metacognition which is a teachable competence and goal-aspiration which is a trainable desire can play a determining role in individuals’ selfactualization and EWB.