When is Meaning in Life Most Beneficial to Young People? Styles of Meaning in Life and Well-Being Among Late Adolescents

Dariusz Krok

doi:10.1007/s10804-017-9280-y

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to investigate the relationships between different dimensions of meaning in life and subjective and psychological well-being (PWB) among late adolescents. Three hundred and eighty four Polish participants completed The Personal Meaning Profile scale, The Satisfaction With Life Scale, The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, The PWB scale, and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. Two studies were conducted. In Study 1, the findings revealed that personal meaning had strong relations with subjective well-being (SWB) and PWB. In addition, the dimensions of personal meaning were more strongly associated with the cognitive dimension of SWB than with PWB. In Study 2, search for meaning had positive associations with SWB and PWB among those late adolescents who already had substantial meaning in life. Individuals who were in presence and search style had higher levels of SWB and PWB than those in only search style or presence style. The results demonstrate that purpose embedded in the concept of meaning in life appears central to the formation of adolescent well-being as young people come to establish overarching aims.

Highlights

The scientific study of meaning has largely concentrated on recognizing the consequences of believing that one’s life is meaningful (Głaz 2013; Klinger 2012; Steger 2012)
As regards the correlation analysis for particular dimensions of personal meaning, all of them were positively related to life satisfaction, and all but religion and intimacy were correlated with positive affect
The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between different dimensions of meaning in life and subjective and psychological well-being (PWB) among late adolescents

Summary

Introduction

The scientific study of meaning has largely concentrated on recognizing the consequences of believing that one’s life is meaningful (Głaz 2013; Klinger 2012; Steger 2012). In this sense, meaning in life is regarded as a factor that makes a unique contribution to the sphere of well-being and happiness. Meaning in life has unique psychological assets that influence human cognitive and emotional processes in late adolescence. During this developmental period teenagers typically strive to achieve an integrated view of themselves, including their own pattern of beliefs, goals, and motivations (Boyd and Bee 2012; Brassai et al 2011). It would be beneficial to gain more knowledge of the characteristics of presence and search mechanisms, and whether young people with high levels of meaning in life who are searching for meaning can obtain

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