Importance Of Meaning In Life Research Articles

The influence mechanism underlying meaning in life on career adaptability among college students: a chain intermediary model.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed a huge challenge to the career situation of college students. This study aimed to understand the mechanism underlying meaning in life on career adaptability among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative method was adopted. In total, 1,182 college students were surveyed using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, the Adult General Hope Scale, and the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale. There was a significant positive correlation between meaning in life, positive coping styles, hope, and career adaptability. Positive coping styles and hope play a separate mediating role and a chain mediating role. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of meaning in life among college students to improve their career adaptability. Furthermore, positive coping styles and increased levels of hope contribute to the development of career adaptability among college students.

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.

Authentic inner compass, well-being, and prioritization of positivity and meaning among adolescents

Adolescence is a critical and formative stage of life characterized by the development of interests, values, long-term goals, and social affiliations that serve as the foundation for more mature identity formation. Growing evidence supports the importance of meaning in life and of positivity as protective factors during adolescence that facilitate coping and thriving. The present study builds on previous research to explore the relationship between adolescents' authentic inner compass (AIC; having self-directed values, aspirations, interests, and goals that are experienced as authentic), well-being, and the prioritization of positivity and meaning. Findings from a sample of 677 adolescents (50.7% girls; mean age = 13.88) indicate that a higher AIC score is related to higher prioritization of meaning and higher prioritization of positivity, which are positively related to subjective well-being (SWB). Furthermore, having an AIC was found to contribute to adolescents' ability to intentionally seek out activities and contexts and make choices that are conducive to experiencing meaning and positivity, which in turn predicts increased well-being, greater life satisfaction, and fewer maladaptive symptoms. Having an AIC was also found to contribute to a decrease in emotional and behavioral problems.

Spirituality and subjective well-being among Ghanaian older adults: optimism and meaning in life as mediators

Objective This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between spirituality and subjective well-being (positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction), and whether this relationship is mediated by optimism and meaning in life. Method Participants were 235 older adults (≥60 years) conveniently sampled from Ghanaian communities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the direct and indirect relationships. Sobel test was also used to test specific mediating effects of optimism and meaning in life. Results Spirituality was positively related with positive affect and life satisfaction, but negatively related with negative affect. The SEM results revealed that the relationship between spirituality and subjective well-being was indirect. Sobel test showed that the mediating effect of optimism was only statistically significant for negative affect but not positive affect and life satisfaction. In contrast, the mediating effect of meaning in life was statistically significant for the three components of subjective well-being. Conclusion The study has demonstrated that spirituality indirectly influences subjective well-being through optimism and meaning in life. It also showed the relative importance of meaning in life over optimism as a mediator. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings have been discussed.

How is paranoia experienced in a student population? A qualitative study of students scoring highly on a paranoia measure.

ObjectivesRecent studies have suggested that students may experience high levels of paranoia. This study aimed to explore both experiences of paranoia and coping strategies in students scoring at high levels on a measure of paranoia.DesignThis was a qualitative study which utilized a quantitative measure to identify potential participants.MethodsFrom an overall sample of 174 London‐based university students in the United Kingdom, a sub‐sample of 31 students with the highest total scores on the Green et al. Paranoid Thoughts Scale were invited to interview resulting in interviews with seven students (six female and one male) aged between 20 and 36 (M = 28.14). A thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted from a critical realist standpoint.ResultsTwo key foci structured the analysis: perceived causal influences on paranoia (comprised of ‘historical contexts fostering mistrust’; ‘finding a social situation strange’; ‘anticipating threat’; and ‘evaluating the concern’) and living with paranoia (comprised of ‘effects on everyday life’ and ‘trying to minimize the effects of paranoia and regaining control’).ConclusionsKey aspects of the findings discussed in the context of the literature include paranoia as a threat heuristic; the role of internal and external dialogues; the influence of gender on content; and the importance of meaning in life as a coping resource.Practitioner points Paranoia may be a significant issue for some students.Paranoia needs to be seen in the context of past aversive experiences.Dialogical approaches may be useful in developing new therapeutic narratives.Valued social roles, activities, and responsibilities may be an important coping resource.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior of Islamic Banks through Meaning in Life and Meaning of Work

Islamic banking had a market share that is still low if compared with conventional banks, so it has a big challenge to improve performance and competitive advantage. Employees who were willing to have extra work for their organization will lead to the improvement of their performance and their organization. Several studies have examined multiple factors that affect organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), but it was still slightly stressing on the importance of psychological aspects of meaning in life and the meaning of work. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of meaning in life and the meaning of work factors in improving OCB in the organization. The sample in this study was employees of the Islamic banks in Central Java, amounted to 100 people. The data collections were conducted using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Meanwhile, to analyze the data, the structural equation model with a Partial least squares software was used. The results of data analysis showed that meaning in life had a significant effect on satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior. Meaning of work also had a significant effect on satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior. An employee’s job satisfaction significantly affects the improvement of organizational citizenship behavior. DOI : https://doi.org/10.26905/jkdp.v21i4.1407

Finding meaning in us: The role of meaning in life in romantic relationships

The present research tested a model of relationship functioning that incorporates meaning in life (MIL), proposing that MIL plays an important role in individuals’ motivations and perceived quality of romantic relationships. Study 1 employed a weekly diary methodology (N = 121 individuals in romantic relationships) and found that both within- and between-person relationship MIL are associated with internalized motivational states (i.e. intrinsic motivation, harmonious passion) and relationship quality (i.e. satisfaction, commitment). Study 2 was a dyadic study that examined both members of romantic couples (N = 238 dyads). Results found that both one’s own and one’s partner’s MIL predict motivation and relationship quality. Further, we also found evidence of a hierarchical model of MIL, such that relationship-specific experiences of MIL mediate associations between general MIL and relationship motivation and quality. Taken together, this research provides consistent and compelling evidence regarding the importance of MIL in romantic relationships.

Social worker characteristics associated with perceived meaning in life

Summary Meaning in life is an important element in the context of the workplace. The purpose of this study was to explore how certain factors, namely: subjective well-being, professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, burnout), loneliness, personal work-related subjection to violence, fear of being subjected to violence, age, parental status, and marital status can predict meaning in life among social workers in Israel. An extensive battery of online questionnaires was administered to 501 participants. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the association between a series of independent variables and meaning in life among social workers. Findings The findings suggest that age, subjective well-being, compassion satisfaction and fear of being personally subjected to violence were positively associated with meaning in life. However, loneliness and burnout were negatively associated with meaning in life. The other variables were not significantly associated with meaning in life. Applications Social work educators and managers must consider the importance of meaning in life when developing social care curricula and policies. Social workers must be aware of the importance of enhancing their sense of meaning in life for increasing their job satisfaction as well as improving the service provided to their clients.

The mind’s eye: A photographic method for understanding meaning in people’s lives

Although research relying on self-report inventories has built an increased appreciation of the importance of meaning in life, such research has strayed somewhat from the original promise of meaning in life research, which was to shed light on the individual experience of meaning. Some research has focused on understanding people’s sources of meaning. However, previous methods have relied on verbal ways of assessing sources of meaning in life. In recognition of the fact that not everyone has highly developed verbal skills – and that even those who do can find it hard to articulate what life means – we offer a new method for understanding individuals’ experiences with meaning in life. In this article, we describe the use of photography to elicit information about people’s sources of meaning and provide inductive qualitative analysis of a pilot study using this method. Photography holds great potential as a new method for seeing meaning through another’s eyes.

THE MEANING OF LIFE AND OLDER LEARNERS: ADDRESSING THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE THROUGH CRITICAL THINKING AND TEACHING

Although the importance of meaning in life has been recognized in the educational gerontology literature, scholars have given little in the way of an analysis of the concept and even less information about effective ways to plan and conduct educational programs for older learners who are interested in the meaning of life. This article examines the definition of the meaning of life and suggests that the concept is best understood when viewed as “meaning making,” that is, as an individual activity that occurs when persons are faced with an experience that challenges their basic assumptions about the world and that requires them to make meaning of the experience by filtering it through their basic assumptions. Experiences that confront the basic assumptions of older learners are used as illustrations to explain meaning making by older adults. Meaning making is favorably compared with perspective transformation, which establishes a theoretical framework for discussing ways to address the meaning of life in educational experiences. Techniques for teaching critical thinking have been identified as effective instructional methods for facilitating perspective transformation and therefore are proposed as useful ways to address meaning making in educational opportunities for older learners.