How Search for Meaning Interacts with Complex Categories of Meaning in Life and Subjective Well-Being?

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Figueiredo Damásio ◽  
Sílvia Helena Koller

AbstractThis study sought to assess how the search for meaning interacts with crisis of meaning and with different categories of meaning in life (meaningfulness, crisis of meaning, existential indifference, and existential conflict). Furthermore, the moderation role of search for meaning between the relation of categories of meaning and subjective well-being (SWB) was also evaluated. Participants included 3,034 subjects (63.9% women) ranging in age from 18 to 91 (M = 33.90; SD = 15.01) years old from 22 Brazilian states. Zero-order correlations and a factorial MANOVA were implemented. Positive low correlations were found for search for meaning and crisis of meaning (r = .258; p < .001). Search for meaning presented a small-effect size moderation effect on the relation of the different categories of meaning with subjective happiness, F(6, 3008) = 2.698, p < .05; η2 = .004, but not for satisfaction with life, F(6, 3008) = .935, p = .47; η2 = .002. The differences on the levels of subjective happiness of those inserted in existential indifferent and conflicting categories differ depending on the levels of search for meaning. Further directions for future studies are proposed.

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Chloe Lau Lau ◽  
Anita Feher ◽  
Claire Anne Wilson ◽  
Sarah E. Babcock ◽  
Donald H. Saklofske

While presence of meaning in life (i.e., presence) is associated with a plethora of desirable qualities (e.g., greater well-being, longevity, positive affect), search for meaning is associated with psychological distress (e.g., reports of conflict, rumination, depression; Boyle, Barnes, Buchman, & Bennett, 2009). Individuals with higher resiliency, defined as a multifaceted competency in adapting and recovering from adversity, could potentially mitigate the distress associated with search, and thus, achieve greater satisfaction with life (SWL). The present study examined the moderating role of meaning in life between resiliency (i.e., sense of mastery and sense of relatedness) and SWL in a sample of Canadian university students (N=289). Hierarchical regression analyses showed that there was a positive association between resiliency and SWL and this association was stronger at higher levels compared to lower levels of search for meaning. These results suggest that individuals searching for meaning with high levels of mastery have the greatest SWL, while their counterparts with low mastery have the lowest SWL. Similar moderating effects of search were found with the positive association between sense of relatedness and SWL. Overall, findings suggest that protective factors in resiliency may buffer against the potential negative impact of search. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzana Ashraf ◽  
Gull Zareen ◽  
Aasia Nusrat ◽  
Amna Arif ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

Objective: The global outbreak of COVID-19 has greatly affected individual's lives around the world and resulted in various negative psychological consequences. During the pandemic, reflection on and attention to COVID-19 may help in dealing with its symptomology but frequent and persistent thoughts about the situation can be unhealthy. The present study examined the direct and indirect associations between obsession concerning COVID-19, psychological distress, life satisfaction, and meaning in life.Design: This mediation study presents a primary analysis of normative data collected after the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan. Parametric bootstrapping was used to test the mediation models of subjective well-being, the extent of the effect, and meaning in life as parallel and serial mediators concerning the associations between COVID-19 obsession and psychological distress measures.Setting: A sample of 1,002 adults (45% men and 55% women) were recruited utilizing an online survey between April to May 2020. They were aged between 19 and 45 years (M = 24.30, SD = 7.29) and normalized on population characteristics.Results: Two out of three mediators in parallel mediation fully mediated the relationship between obsession and psychological distress (total effect = 0.443, SE = 0.050, p &lt; 0.0001) illustrating that high-level obsessions were associated with low levels of satisfaction with life and presence of meaning in life and search for meaning in life. Psychological distress is likely to decrease in the presence of a high level of satisfaction with life and meaning. Moreover, satisfaction with life and search for meaning in life significantly mediated the association between COVID-19 obsession (z=-3.507, p &lt; 0.0001 and z = −2.632, p &lt; 0.001 respectively).Conclusion: The present study showed that life satisfaction and search for meaning in life may play a significant role in decreasing psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Mindfulness ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julianna M. Lynch ◽  
Allison S. Troy

Abstract Objectives The current study investigated the hypothesis that the relationship between flow states and well-being is mediated by nondual experiences. Past empirical and theoretical work suggests flow states share similarities with nondual experiences. The current study expanded upon previous work by examining the relationships between flow, nondual experiences, emotion, and well-being. Methods Students enrolled in various artistic classes (N = 104) were surveyed once a week for four weeks. Participants reported on their experiences of flow, nonduality, emotion, and psychological and subjective well-being. Results Higher scores on measures of both flow (b = 7.03, SE = 0.82, p < .001) and nondual experiences (b = 0.17, SE = 0.02, p < .001) predicted increased positive emotion immediately after class. Nondual experiences partially mediated this relationship, such that when accounting for nondual experiences, the relationship between flow and positive emotion was significantly decreased (b = 4.30, SE = 0.45, p < .001). Longitudinally, nondual experience also mediated the relationship between flow and satisfaction with life (Sobel t = 1.94, SE = 1.06, p = .05). However, while flow predicted increased psychological well-being (b = 0.32, SE = 0.14, p = .02) after the four weeks, nondual experience did not (b = −0.003, SE = 0.002, p = .13). Conclusions These findings suggest that flow states may facilitate some features of nonduality and share similarities with meditative states. Additionally, the link between flow and well-being may be explained by its similarities to meditative states, and that creative activities could be useful in fostering well-being.


Author(s):  
Ahmad Bilal ◽  
Sehrish Wazir ◽  
Shakeela Altaf ◽  
Samina Rasool

Sexual Harassment at workplace (SHW) is a global phenomenon. However, there has been no prior research on the association of SHW and subjective well-being (SWB) of working women in Pakistan. The SWB is an umbrella term that encompasses concepts such as satisfaction with life (SWL) and subjective happiness (SbH). The 200 working women from the public and private sector organizations in Pakistan were recruited randomly. The Sexual Harassment Experience Questionnaire, The Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Subjective Happiness Scale were administered as the main measures. The study met all the ethical considerations. The data was analyzed by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and expressed as baseline characteristics, correlation analysis and t tests. There was statistically significant negative relationship of SHW with SWL and SbH in working women. The young age, high school or less education, single marital status, and working in private sector organization were significantly associated with the increased and decreased experience of SHW and SWB respectively. The study recommended the adoption of anti SHW laws by the working sector and the periodic screening of working women for SWB so as to reduce the phenomenon of SHW and enhance the SWL and SbH in working women.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anne-Marie Snider

<p>One of the major shifts in our social structure over the last 50 years has been a switch in the relative well-being positions of young and old. This is reflected in their suicide rates where, in contrast to the gradual decline in the propensity of older populations to take their own lives, that of the young has risen dramatically. Not confined to New Zealand, this ‘generational switch’ raises important questions about the changing relative distribution of incentives and rewards for living across the age domain. The purpose of my thesis is to document this change and explore its implications. I do so by analysing the current distribution of subjective well-being across contemporary age groups including differences between men and women and Māori and non-Māori. Of particular interest is the link between suicide, subjective well-being and social capital – the levels of social connectedness that prevail in the lives of the young adults relative to their parents’ generation. As a geographer I’m particularly concerned with the role of local capital (community connectedness and trust) in nurturing well-being, and hence the variation that well-being exhibits across places within a country. While thoroughly investigated between nations, relatively few studies document geographical variations in subjective well-being within countries, particularly in terms of how these statistics differ by age. I find that not only does dissatisfaction with life (unhappiness and other measures of subjective well-being) rise as teenagers approach adulthood, but that it peaks in the 30s and declines slowly thereafter in a pattern reflective of the prevailing pattern of suicide. Moreover I find that, in addition to partnership, income, employment status and housing tenure, satisfaction with life among young adults in particular also varies across local communities, and cities. As such, the young exhibit a heightened sensitivity to place in ways that raise important questions about the nature of communities in which children are raised. It is this new information which I bring to a discussion of current initiatives dealing with mental health and the prevailing strategies advocated in New Zealand.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 11(73) ◽  
pp. 86-94
Author(s):  
Beatrice Adriana Balgiu ◽  
◽  
Ruxandra Sfeatcu ◽  

The aim of the present study is to determine the prediction level of gratitude, meaning in life, and inspiration on Subjective Well-being (SWB). 325 undergraduates (149 males and 176 females) with Mage=19,29 (S.D.=1,40) participated in the study. In order to measure the respective concepts, we used the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), the Inspiration Scale (IS), and Single-item measures for life satisfaction and gratitude. The study used descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses. The results of the regression analyses showed that gratitude accounts for most of the SWB variance. The presence of meaning affects SWB positively, while the search for meaning is a negative predictor of SWB. Inspiration frequency is one of the weak predictors of SWB, while inspiration intensity is not a significant predictor of SWB. The results are discussed within the context of the existing literature.


2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Kämpfe ◽  
Kristin Mitte

Surprisingly little is known about the suggested mediator role of emotional intelligence and mood‐regulation regarding the relationship between personality and subjective well‐being. Three independent samples were administered to investigate whether EI and mood‐regulation served as mediators for subjective well‐being beyond personality. Using structural equation modelling, the authors demonstrated the superior role of extraversion and neuroticism in explaining satisfaction with life, happiness, positive and negative affect. Consistent mediation effects were found for the trait meta‐mood of repair. Contrary to expectations, the remaining variables (attention, clarity, self‐efficacy of affect regulation) did not mediate the relationship between personality and well‐being; neither did they show substantial incremental validity in explaining variance in SWB. Results are discussed with regard to methodological issues and practical implications. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Bin Li ◽  
Kai Dou

Meaning in life can be understood as how much people experience life meaning, i.e., presence of meaning (POM) and how intensely they seek life meaning, i.e., search for meaning (SFM). Previous research has related POM and SFM to the subjective well-being (SWB) of individuals, but the findings are inconsistent. This meta-analysis investigates the overall relationship between POM/SFM and SWB by examining previous studies that have used Steger et al.’s (2006) Meaning in Life Questionnaire to assess POM and SFM. Results of 148 studies, reporting 726 effect sizes (N=92,169), suggest the effect size for the “POM–SWB” relationship is close to medium (ESz=0.418, p&lt;.001, 95% CI=[0.390,0.446]). The effect is larger in life satisfaction and cross-sectional studies. The effect size for the “SFM–SWB” association is small (ESz=-.121, p&lt;.001, 95% CI=[-0.155,-0.817]), with the effect being larger for negative affect, cross-sectional studies, and older participants. Interestingly, SFM is positively related to SWB for participants from countries with a high collectivism index, suggesting a stronger association for people from such countries. This study shows a robust link between presence of life meaning and greater SWB, and that while searching for life meaning may be adverse to SWB, the effect is small and conditional.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-96
Author(s):  
Emel Genç ◽  
Gökmen Arslan

Coronavirus stress with the restrictions and unexpected life changes has affected individuals and their satisfaction with life. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of optimism and hope on the relationship between coronavirus stress and subjective wellbeing among young adults in Turkey. A sample of 331 (M= 20.86 and 64% females) college students participated in this study. The results demonstrated that coronavirus stress was negatively associated with the college students’ sense of hope and optimism. Moreover, coronavirus stress had an indirect effect on subjective well-being through optimism and hope. Optimism and hope mitigated the adverse impacts of stress on well-being during the pandemic. These results indicated that young adults with a high level of stress due to coronavirus have lower optimism and hope, which in turn have less subjective well-being. The study findings hence highlight that being hopeful and optimistic are the potential resources to explain how coronavirus stress is related to subjective well-being.


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