Theoretical statements on life projects: A scoping review

Abstract

This scoping review identified and synthesized the theoretical statements on life projects contained in articles indexed in databases of psychology and related fields. Six online databases were searched for articles using the term life project in their titles, abstracts, or keywords. Only articles that contained theoretical statements on life projects were included, yielding 93 manuscripts. A total of 15 theoretical approaches from diverse fields were identified. A thematic analysis with the articles’ theoretical statements resulted in six themes describing different properties and correlates of life projects. Another thematic analysis, based on the articles’ explicit life project definitions, resulted in four defining features. The findings reveal that the theoretical approaches and life project definitions conflict with each other. However, the theoretical dimensions and defining features enabled the identification of commonalities across the theories. Future studies need to integrate these distinct theoretical dimensions and defining features to form a comprehensive theory of the life project.