Life projects, motivational and volitional features, and field of possibilities: A theoretical model

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to outline a model on the associations between life project (LP), motivational and volitional features, and the field of possibilities. It consists of a qualitative study carried out via interviews with 26 Brazilian citizens and the interviews were assessed through thematic analysis. From an ideographic perspective, the findings suggest social inequalities and strong value of the family drove self-regulation and motives for autonomy and relatedness. In turn, such motives influenced the construction and implementation of LPs. From a nomothetic perspective, a theoretical model was created to stress the impact of the field of possibilities on LPs with the mediation of motivational and volitional features. Future studies still need to test the model from a confirmatory perspective.