Hope and the meaningful life: Theoretical and empirical associations between goal-directed thinking and life meaning

In this article, important theories of life meaning are discussed, as are the hypothesized effects of meaning on anxiety and depression. A commonality among these theories-hopeful thinking-is highlighted in the context of a goal-directed model of hope (Snyder et al., 1991). It is proposed that hope is a component common to all theories of meaning. We administered scales of meaning, hope, depression, and anxiety to 139 college students. Factor analysis reveals a single factor underlying the meaning scales and hope measure, offering evidence that hope is a component of meaning. Additionally, in regression analyses, statistically controlling for hope attenuates the correlations between meaning and both depression and anxiety. Similar results are found for the correlations between hope and depression or anxiety, when controlling for meaning.