British Journal of Psychology · 1992 · 870 citations · 20 references
Social SciencesBehavioral SciencesPsychologyHealth PsychologyPersonality PsychologyPsychometricsEmotional Well-beingMental HealthMental Well-beingPsychological TestingPsychological Well-beingPsychosocial Well-beingSubjective WellbeingWell-being
Meaning in life is a key psychological construct that has received limited study, with most research focusing on its link to psychopathology using the Purpose in Life Test. The study investigates how meaning in life relates to psychological well‑being across multiple meaning measures and both positive and negative well‑being dimensions, and discusses implications for future research. The authors assessed the relationship using multiple meaning measures and both positive and negative well‑being dimensions. The study found a strong, replicable association between meaning in life and well‑being, stronger for positive than negative dimensions, supporting a salutogenic perspective.
Meaning in life is an important construct in psychology, but one which has been the focus of limited research. Most research has concentrated on the relation between meaning and psychopathology, and has been conducted with the Purpose in Life Test. This paper examines the relation between meaning in life and psychological well‐being using several meaning measures and both positive and negative well‐being dimensions. A strong association is found between meaning in life and well‐being, which is replicated in two different samples. Meaning in life is found to have a stronger association with positive than with negative well‐being dimensions, suggesting the value of taking a salutogenic approach to mental health research. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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The Contours of Positive Human Health
Carol D. Ryff, Burton H. Singer · Psychological Inquiry · 1998 · 2.6K citations