Experience Of Meaning In Life Research Articles

Interpersonal mattering and the experience of meaning in life

ABSTRACT Recent research in positive psychology has proposed that the experience of meaning in life (MIL) is multidimensional and consists of three components: mattering, purpose, and coherence. In this model, mattering has been operationalized as the extent to which people feel like they matter on the scale of the universe. The current research suggests this ‘cosmic mattering’ is only part of the picture and explored the relationships between the tripartite components of MIL and one well-established but previously unintegrated context of mattering: interpersonal mattering. Studies 1 and 2 found evidence that interpersonal mattering plays an important role in MIL even while accounting for cosmic mattering, purpose, and coherence. Study 3 experimentally demonstrated that increasing people’s feelings of interpersonal importance increases their sense of MIL. Together, these studies support the idea that interpersonal mattering is a context of existential mattering that contributes to MIL at least as much as cosmic mattering.

Seeing your life story as a Hero's Journey increases meaning in life.

Meaning in life is tied to the stories people tell about their lives. We explore whether one timeless story-the Hero's Journey-might make people's lives feel more meaningful. This enduring story appears across history and cultures and provides a template for ancient myths (e.g., Beowulf) and blockbuster books and movies (e.g., Harry Potter). Eight studies reveal that the Hero's Journey predicts and can causally increase people's experience of meaning in life. We first distill the Hero's Journey into seven key elements-protagonist, shift, quest, allies, challenge, transformation, legacy-and then develop a new measure that assesses the perceived presence of the Hero's Journey narrative in people's life stories: the Hero's Journey Scale. Using this scale, we find a positive relationship between the Hero's Journey and meaning in life with both online participants (Studies 1-2) and older adults in a community sample (Study 3). We then develop a restorying intervention that leads people to see the events of their life as a Hero's Journey (Study 4). This intervention causally increases meaning in life (Study 5) by prompting people to reflect on important elements of their lives and connecting them into a coherent and compelling narrative (Study 6). This Hero's Journey restorying intervention also increases the extent to which people perceive meaning in an ambiguous grammar task (Study 7) and increases their resilience to life's challenges (Study 8). These results provide initial evidence that enduring cultural narratives like the Hero's Journey both reflect meaningful lives and can help to create them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Existential Challenge of Religious Pluralism: Religion, Politics, and Meaning in Life

ABSTRACT Three studies tested the hypothesis that exposure to pluralistic (vs. non-pluralistic) attitudes about religion would enhance mood but lower meaning in life. Studies 1 (N = 827) and 2 (N = 852) showed that pluralistic attitudes about Christianity (Study 1) and Islam (Study 2) led to better mood but lower meaning in life than non-pluralistic and control passages. In both studies, condition effects were stronger among those low on conservatism. Study 3 (N = 1043) directly replicated Study 1 and showed that the existential threat of pluralism is mediated by personal uncertainty, particularly for those who are less conservative. Religious pluralism is important to a healthy, functioning society, yet threatens the experience of meaning in life by enhancing personal uncertainty. Interventions to overcome this psychological hurdle are discussed.

Perceiving a Stable Self-Concept Enables the Experience of Meaning in Life.

We test the hypothesis that the perception of stability in one's self-concept (i.e., future self-continuity) enables the experience of meaning in life because perceiving a stable sense of self confers a sense of certainty to the self-concept. Study 1 provided initial evidence of the influence of future self-continuity on feelings of meaning in life (MIL) in a nationally representative sample. In Studies 2a and 2b, we manipulated future self-continuity by varying the expectedness of one's future self, demonstrating the causal influence of future self-continuity on self-certainty and feelings of MIL. Study 3 again manipulated future self-continuity, finding an indirect effect on feelings of meaning in life via self-certainty. Our findings thus suggest the experience of meaning in life arises from the perception of a stable sense of self. We discuss the implications for the antecedents and conceptualization of MIL as well as the nature of the self-concept.

Intuition and meaning in life in persons with varying level of depressive symptoms and impairments in personality functioning.

The current research explored the interplay between intuition, meaning in life, and psychopathology. Specifically, we investigated whether experiential and reflective components of meaning in life are associated with depressive symptoms and personality pathology, whether intuition is related to the experience of meaning, and whether psychopathology has disruptive effects on intuition as well as on the link between intuition and the experience of meaning. We tested our preregistered hypotheses in two independent studies. In Study 1, N = 448 participants completed self-report instruments assessing the experiential and the reflective dimensions of meaning in life, depressive symptoms, and impairments in personality functioning. Intuition was operationalized as the ability to intuitively detect semantic coherence in an experimental task. Additionally, self-reported confidence in intuition was assessed. In Study 2, we aimed to replicate our findings and hypotheses that emerged from Study 1 with a new sample of N = 1189 participants. In both studies, participants with more depressive symptoms or higher levels of personality pathology experienced life as less meaningful but reflected significantly more about meaning in life. The intuitive ability to discriminate between coherence and incoherence in the experimental task was neither related to the experience of meaning in life nor to psychopathology, but more confidence in intuition was associated with experiencing life as more meaningful and with less psychopathological symptoms. It was tentatively supported that the association between meaning in life and intuition was moderated by psychopathology. The findings are discussed in terms of their clinical implications and regarding the cognitive-affective processes potentially underlying people's experience of life being meaningful.

Nurses´ Attitudes Towards Dying and Death

Introduction. Death means the irreversible termination of the organism’s vital activities. Dying presents an irreversible state of an incurable disease from which death is expected in due time. The experience of meaning in life is defined as the degree to which an individual understands and sees significance in his life, how and to what extent he feels purpose in life. Aim. The aim of this research was to determine the role of demographic characteristics (gender, age, level of education, religiosity), their relationship with the experience of meaning in the life of nurses, and the relationship between the attitudes of nurses towards death and dying with the experience of meaning in life. Methods. The research was conducted in the period from May to June 2022. The survey was composed of three parts, and was posted on the Facebook social network in the group named Nurses together. A total of 240 participants took part in the research, of which 185 were female nurses and 55 were male nurses, with an average age of 33.05 years (SD=10.10). The instruments that were used in the research were the Purpose in Life Test and Death Attitude Profile – Revised. Results. The obtained results do not indicate that women perceive their life as more meaningful compared to men. Also, healthcare professionals with a higher level of education perceive their life to be significantly more meaningful compared to healthcare professionals with secondary education. Regarding the relationship between the experience of meaning in life and some concepts of acceptance of death, it has been proven that a greater experience of meaning in life can be found in respondents who consider death as a natural process of the journey towards the afterlife. The degree of religiosity was not significantly related to the perception of the meaning of life.Conclusion. Further research is needed to investigate the determinants of mortality in order to more scientifically determine the perception of the experience of meaning in life and attitudes towards death and dying among nurses. The importance of such research is reflected in the effort to raise awareness of the usefulness of the experience of meaning in life in the complete functioning of the individual and the quality of life.

Association of meaning in life with preventive healthcare use among Chinese adults: are there age and gender differences?

Meaning in life could be of clinical importance in stimulating healthy and preventive behaviors. The study aimed to investigate the association between meaning in life and preventive healthcare use among Chinese adults, and to assess their age and gender differences in the association. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 1444 adults aged 18-64 years in February 2020 in China. Logistic regression models were employed to examine the association of meaning in life with preventive healthcheckups and assess their age and gender differences. The mean score of meaning in life was 5.801 (Standard Deviation = 1.349) out of 7. Each unit increase on the level of meaning in life was associated with 12.2% higher likelihood of using preventive health checkups (any type) (adjusted odds ratio 1.122, 95% confidence interval 1.015-1.241) after adjustment for sociodemographic factors, comorbidity and other psychological health factors. Meaning in life was significantly associated with the uses of X-ray (1.125, 1.010-1.253), B-ultrasound (1.176, 1.058-1.306), and blood testing (1.152, 1.042-1.274). The associations between meaning in life and these types of preventive healthcare increased with age, but there were no gender differences in these associations. Higher meaning in life was independently related to more preventive healthcheckups. Strategies to strengthen health education and interventions to improve experience of meaning in life might be an important component to increase preventive healthcare use in China.

Meaning in life among Chinese undergraduate students in the post-epidemic period: A qualitative interview study.

COVID-19 epidemic has lasted for nearly 3 years, and revolutionized social life. In the study, in-depth interviews were conducted with Chinese undergraduate students to explore their understanding and experience of meaning in life. Meaning of life is interpreted from four aspects: life goals, life value, life enthusiasm, and life freedom. These four aspects are independent yet interrelated. Based on the free grasp of life, individuals explore and pursue the true meaning of life goals, acquire life value in evaluating the completion of life goals, and subsequently experience enthusiasm for life. Life enthusiasm and the perception of life value can help individuals to further understand and possess their meaning of life. The present study adopts the qualitative method to understand the experience of meaning in life among Chinese undergraduate students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and six people participated the study. The Grounded Theory was adopted to analyze the qualitative data. (1) Chinese undergraduates had clear life goals and obtained a certain sense of achievement and satisfaction when striving for these goals. (2) The life value of Chinese undergraduates was mainly to their families, but there was also a willingness to make due contributions to the country and society. (3) Chinese undergraduates' feelings about life were polarized, but they all expressed the view of "living in the moment and cherishing the present." (4) Chinese undergraduate students see life freedom as freedom of choice and generally believed that COVID-19 did not restrict their lives very much. (5) Chinese undergraduate students gained a deeper understanding of meaning in life after this major public health emergency.

Bidirectional associations between meaning in life and the health, emotional ill-being and daily life functioning outcomes among older adults

Objective Meaning and purpose in life are recognised health determinants. Evidence on the factors contributing to the experience of meaning and purpose in life is limited. The bidirectional associations between the experience of meaning in life and physical health, emotional ill-being and daily life functioning from a 6-year perspective are examined. Methods and Measures Longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were analysed using generalised estimating equations. The sample included 16,361 middle-aged and older adults from 13 countries. Results Living a meaningful life was found to be associated with subsequent reduced risks of depression, loneliness, limitations in activities of daily living, and heart attack (at the 6-year follow-up). It was also found that prior experience of depression, loneliness and limited activities of daily living were associated with subsequent reduced sense of meaningful life. These associations were independent of demographics, socioeconomic status, personality, prior history of diseases and lifestyle. The sensitivity analyses provided evidence for the robustness of these associations. Conclusions Evidence for health practitioners and policymakers on factors that may hamper the development and maintenance of meaningful life as well as on the role of sense of meaning in life for healthy aging was presented.

Meaning in Life and Happiness in Coming Out: A Qualitative Study of Malaysian Gay Males

The mental health of Malaysian gay males is affected when they decide to disclose their homosexuality, as it follows by bigotry that diminishes their psychological well-being. This study, henceforth, aims to explore the experience of meaning in life and happiness in coming out of Malaysian gay males. From Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, 22 gay males were recruited with purposive and snowballing sampling techniques in the qualitative study. Findings show that they can ascertain their meaning in life via social engagement in the LGBTQ pride. On that note, they could achieve self-actualization by mingling with people of their community. With the future endeavor and memorable experience, regardless of pleasant or hostile, it can generate happiness in gay males coming out journey, as they will have the attribution of gratitude. The study findings perhaps bring attention to the gay males’ parents about proper mannerisms in responding to their son’s sexual orientation. In that case, an interceding approach from the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and even the government is offerable to parents. It can ensure that the Malaysian gay males’ meaning in life and happiness are not disrupted by disclosing their sexual orientation to their beloved ones.

The longitudinal relationship between meaning in life, depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and cognitive functioning for older adults with Alzheimer's disease.

Studies show the importance of the personal experience of meaning in life for older adults, but adults with dementia have been largely excluded from this research. The current study examined the longitudinal predictive effect of meaning in life for the psychological and cognitive functioning of older adults with Alzheimer's disease and whether cognitive decline predicted presence of meaning in life. On three yearly measurement occasions, presence of meaning in life, depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and cognitive functioning were assessed in structured interviews with a convenience sample of 140 older adults with Alzheimer's disease from nine nursing homes in Belgium. Cross-lagged panel and latent growth curve models were used to analyze the longitudinal relationships between the variables. Over the three measurement waves, participants with higher presence of meaning reported lower depressive symptoms one year later. Presence of meaning and life satisfaction predicted each other over time, but only between the first and second wave. The analyses showed no strong evidence for a longitudinal association between meaning in life and cognitive functioning in either direction. The findings emphasize the importance of the experience of meaning in life for the psychological functioning of older adults with Alzheimer's disease. The lack of evidence for associations between meaning and cognitive functioning questions the prevailing view that intact cognitive abilities are a necessity for experiencing meaning. More attention to the potential of meaning interventions for persons with dementia is warranted.

Focusing, the felt sense, and meaning in life

ABSTRACT Making sense of our existence is one of the most demanding aspects of being human. Studies have shown that meaning is robustly associated with well-being and mental health. In this study with 358 Dutch-speaking participants during the covid-19 pandemic, we tested if the practice of contacting one’s felt sense (focusing attitude) would predict life satisfaction, psychological distress, and existential anxiety. We also tested whether the effect of this focusing attitude would be partially mediated by the experience of meaning in life. Our hypotheses were confirmed. This suggests that the focusing attitude predicts more life satisfaction, less psychological distress, and less existential anxiety. The associations are also partially mediated by the experience of meaning in life. Focusing training variables suggested that attending one’s felt sense can be learned. However, our study also suggests that focusing-partnership deserves closer study.

Meaning Reflectivity in Later Life: The Relationship Between Reflecting on Meaning in Life, Presence and Search for Meaning, and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults Over the Age of 75.

Background: Over the last decades, there is growing attention for the importance of meaning in life for older adults. However, there is virtually no insight into the mental processes that contribute to this experience. Some scholars recently called for an investigation of meaning reflectivity, or the process of reflecting on issues specifically related to meaning in life. In this study, we explored to what extent older adults talk and think about issues of meaning in life, and how this meaning reflectivity is related to the search for and presence of meaning in life, and to depressive symptoms.Method: In this cross-sectional observational study, 282 community-residing older adults (75 or older) in Belgium filled in paper questionnaires on meaning in life (presence and search), depressive symptoms, and meaning reflectivity (categorical item). ANOVA analyses were used to explore differences in meaning in life and depressive symptoms across the meaning reflectivity categories. Regression and negative binomial models investigated the association between meaning reflectivity and presence, search and depressive symptoms. Finally, an exploratory structural equation model examined whether presence of meaning statistically mediated the relationship between meaning reflectivity and depressive symptoms.Results: The majority of participants (42.4%) indicated that they had thought about meaning in life before, 23.2% indicated that they had talked about it before, 18% indicated that they hadn’t thought about it before but found it interesting, and 16.4% indicated that they were indifferent/unconcerned about meaning in life. The latter group reported lower levels of presence of meaning and search for meaning and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Belonging to this category was also associated with lower presence and search in regression analyses, but not with depressive symptoms above the effect of presence of meaning. Exploratory mediation analyses suggested that presence of meaning may be a mediator between meaning reflectivity and depressive symptoms.Conclusion: Meaning reflectivity is an important process to consider in the context of the experience of meaning in life for older adults. Those older adults who are indifferent about issues of meaning in life might be more vulnerable to experience a lack of meaning and depressive symptoms.

Meaning in Life for Patients With Severe Dementia: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Professionals' Interpretations.

The need for meaning in life is a key aspect of being human, and a central issue in the psychology of religion. Understanding experience of meaning for persons with severe dementia is challenging due to the impairments associated with the illness. Despite these challenges, this article argues that meaning in life is as important for a person with severe dementia as it is for everyone else. This study was conducted in a Norwegian hospital and nursing home context and was part of a research project on meaning in life for persons with severe dementia. The study builds on two other studies which focused on how meaning-making and experience of meaningfulness appeared in patients with severe dementia. By presenting the findings from these two studies for a group of healthcare professionals and introducing them to research on meaning in life, the aim of this study was to explore how healthcare professionals interpret the patients' experience of meaning in life in practise for patients with severe dementia in a hospital and nursing home context, and to highlight its clinical implications. The study was conducted using a qualitative method with exploratory design. The data were collected at a round table conference, a method inspired by a mode of action research called “co-operative inquiry.” Altogether 27 professional healthcarers, from a variety of professions, with high competence in dementia care participated together with six researchers authoring this article. This study revealed that healthcare professionals were constantly dealing with different forms of meaning in their everyday care for people with dementia. The findings also showed clear connexions between understanding of meaning and fundamental aspects of good dementia care. Meaning corresponded well with the principles of person-centred care, and this compatibility allowed the healthcare professionals to associate meaning in life as a perspective into their work without having much prior knowledge or being familiar with the use of this perspective. The study points out that awareness of meaning in life as an integrated perspective in clinical practise will contribute to a broader and enhanced repertoire, and hence to improved dementia care. Facilitating experience of meaning calls for increased resources in personnel and competence in future dementia care.

Continuing to Participate in the Dance of Life as Oneself: The Lived Experience of Meaning in Life for Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease.

Meaning in life is an important aspect of positive psychological functioning for older adults. Limited work suggests the relevance of the experience of meaning for people with dementia, but research into this experience from their personal perspective is lacking. The current study provides an in-depth investigation of the lived experience of meaning in life for older adults with Alzheimer's disease. The study was conducted following the phenomenological reflective lifeworld approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 older adults (+65) with Alzheimer's disease living either at home or in a nursing home in Belgium. Data analysis was an iterative process aimed at illuminating the constituents and essence of the phenomenon. The essence of the experience of meaning in life for participants was understood as "continuing to participate in the dance of life as oneself." This experience was further clarified in four closely intertwined constituents: (a) feeling connected and involved, (b) continuing everyday life as oneself, (c) calmly surrendering and letting go, and (d) desiring freedom, growth, and invigoration. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of meaning in life as experienced by older adults with Alzheimer's disease themselves. They emphasize the relevance of the concept for psychological dementia research and offer original insight for the inclusion of meaning in life as an important aspect of holistic dementia care.

Mediating effects of general self-efficacy on the relationship between the source of meaning in life and prosocial behaviours in vocational college nursing students: A cross-sectional study.

To examine the mediating effect of general self-efficacy on the relationship between the source of meaning in life (SML) and prosocial behaviours in vocational college nursing students. Between March and June 2019, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, and 799 nursing students from three vocational colleges completed the Source of Meaning in Life Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale and Prosocial Behaviours Scale. Data were analyzed using structural equation modelling and statistical analysis by SPSS (version 23.0, IBM). The average SML, general self-efficacy and prosocial behaviours scores of the 799 nursing students were 6.43±0.83, 2.48±0.59 and 3.69±0.62, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that SML, general self-efficacy and prosocial behaviours were positively correlated (P<0.01). General self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between SML and prosocial behaviours (P<0.01); this mediating effect contributed 22.97% of the total effect and explained 17.6% of the variance in the dependent variable. Educators should focus on cultivating nursing students' cognition and experience of meaning in life and their efficacy in life, study and work, which can improve students' "people-oriented" service and prosocial behaviour and the quality of nursing services.

The Science of Meaning in Life.

Meaning in life has long been a mystery of human existence. In this review, we seek to demystify this construct. Focusing on the subjective experience of meaning in life, we review how it has been measured and briefly describe its correlates. Then we review evidence that meaning in life, for all its mystery, is a rather commonplace experience. We then define the construct and review its constituent facets: comprehension/coherence, purpose, and existential mattering/significance. We review the many experiences that have been shown to enhance meaning in life and close by considering important remaining research questions about this fascinating topic.

Meaning-Making, Psychological Distress, and the Experience of Meaning in Life Following a Natural Disaster

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of meaning-making in response to collective trauma. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we recruited participants (N = 570) to test the hypothesis that searching for meaning (vs. finding meaning) in the event would be associated with greater (vs. lower) levels of acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms. We further hypothesized that searching for (and finding) meaning in the event would predict global search for (and presence of) meaning in life (MIL). Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that searching for meaning in the event was associated with greater psychological distress at both time points and predicted global search for MIL at one of the time points. Finding meaning in the event was unexpectedly not consistently associated with lower levels of stress; however, across analyses, finding meaning in Hurricane Harvey was associated with greater levels of MIL. Implications and possible explanations for these unexpected results are discussed.

Awe and meaning: Elucidating complex effects of awe experiences on meaning in life

AbstractResearch on the experience of awe suggests that awe has positive impacts on outcomes like life satisfaction and belongingness. No published work, however, has reported effects of awe on the experience of meaning in life. We reasoned that awe might have complicated effects on meaning. On the one hand, many awe experiences likely contain a positive flavor that contributes to both awe and general positive affectivity (happiness). Positive affectivity has a robust positive effect on meaning in life, suggesting that positive awe experiences might increase meaning. At the same time, however, awe experiences lead to a diminished self that reflects feelings of smallness and insignificance, which might negatively predict meaning. We thus hypothesized that awe experiences can, in some contexts, produce competing indirect effects on judgments of meaning in life through happiness and small‐self feelings. The results of five studies (N = 1,690) supported these predictions.

Is Positive Affect Related to Meaning in Life Differently in Younger and Older Adults? A Time Sampling Study.

Prior studies have found that as people age, they value low-arousal positive affect (LAP) to a greater extent and high-arousal positive affect (HAP) to a lower extent. We aimed to investigate whether actually achieving those ideal affects was related to better well-being outcomes, measured in terms of meaning in life. Using a time sampling design across 14 days (N = 162), we investigated whether the experience of LAP and HAP was related to the experience of meaning in life and how these associations differed across younger and older adults in Hong Kong. Both LAP and HAP contributed to the experience of meaning in life for both younger and older adults. The global effect of LAP on meaning in life was stronger for older than younger adults, whereas the momentary effect of HAP on meaning in life was stronger for younger adults than older adults. Findings suggest that achieving ideal affect is related to better eudaimonic well-being outcomes. People of different age groups know how they want to feel. Actually achieving the feelings endorsed by one's age group is associated with higher meaningfulness of life.