"Mindset of Generativity": An Exploration of Generativity among College Students Who Mentor

The current study explored the development of generativity, care for the next generation, among college students who mentor K-12 youth. Interviews and degree-of-change graphs were conducted with 10 mentors using a phenomenological design. The findings revealed that mentoring positively influenced generativity. Additionally, antecedents and outcomes of generativity development emerged. The results argue for the role of being a mentor in psychosocial development, specifically generativity, which has implications for social responsibility, a goal of higher education.