The Science of Meaning in Life

被引:231
作者
King, Laura A. [1 ]
Hicks, Joshua A. [2 ]
机构
[1] Univ Missouri, Dept Psychol Sci, Columbia, MO 65211 USA
[2] Texas A&M Univ, Dept Psychol & Brain Sci, College Stn, TX 77843 USA
来源
ANNUAL REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY, VOL 72 | 2021年 / 72卷
关键词
well-being; meaning in life; existential psychology; purpose; positive affect; meaning making; EPISODIC FUTURE THOUGHT; POSITIVE AFFECT; PURPOSE; WELL; SENSE; HAPPINESS; EXPERIENCE; SEARCH; COHERENCE; MORTALITY;
D O I
10.1146/annurev-psych-072420-122921
中图分类号
B84 [心理学];
学科分类号
04 ; 0402 ;
摘要
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.
引用
收藏
页码:561 / 584
页数:24
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