The Meaning Sextet: A Systematic Literature Review and Further Validation of a Universal Typology of Meaning in Life

Abstract

Many researchers have asked what individuals experience as meaningful, valuable, purposeful, or important in life. However, there seems little consensus about a world-wide typology of meaning. This project aimed to identify a comprehensive universal typology of meaning in life in the empirical literature, and to find additional support for this typology. Study 1 included a systematic literature review on all studies on meaning in life, to identify types and sub-types of meaning via thematic analysis. Study 2 conceptually compared these findings with other published meaning typologies. Study 3 operationalized this typology in the “Meaning Sextet Questionnaire” (MSQ). The MSQ was developed in a sequential mixed-methods study design, consisting of the sub-studies of Item-development, Three-Step-Test-Interview, an informal feasibility study and a formal survey. The literature review identified 6 types and 29 sub-types of meaning in 107 studies in 45.710 participants, which integrated and extended other published typologies: materialistic types of meaning (material conditions, professional-educational success), hedonistic types (hedonistic/embodied experiences), self-oriented types (resilience, self-efficacy, self-acceptance, autonomy, creative self-expression, self-care), social types (social connections, belonging, conformism, altruism, and children), larger types (purposes, personal growth, temporality, justice/ethics, and spirituality/religion), existential-philosophical types (being-alive, unique, free, grateful, and responsible). The MSQ confirmed the universality of this meaning sextet in 1281 participants in 49 countries, with factor-structure and correlations as expected with other questionnaires. Materialistic, hedonistic, and self-oriented meanings correlate with low psychological well-being, and social and larger meanings with large psychological well-being. In sum, the meaning sextet seems to be a comprehensive valid typology of meaning in life which may be used in psychological therapies, counseling, coaching and education.