The Science of Meaning in Life

Overview

Journal Annu Rev Psychol

Publisher Annual Reviews

Specialty Psychology

Date 2020 Sep 8

PMID 32898466

Citations 56

Authors

Laura A King

Joshua A Hicks

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

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.

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