Need for Meaning, Meaning Confusion, Meaning Anxiety, and Meaning Avoidance: Additional Dimensions of Meaning in Life

Zhang, Hong; Sang, Zhiqin; Chen, Changkai; Zhu, Jianming; Deng, Weijing

doi:10.1007/s10902-016-9815-0

Cited by 19 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Presence of meaning has been shown to predict behaviors which are beneficial for the self (e.g., health-promoting behaviors, goal-pursuit, etc.) [ 81 , 82 ], and some work has shown that presence of meaning is related to greater care for others [ 56 ] and community feelings [ 55 , 57 ]. While it is clear that prosocial acts can increase presence of meaning [ 2 , 3 ], how presence of meaning predicts motivation toward costly prosocial behavior is less well-known.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While they are not opposites, search for meaning and presence of meaning are generally negatively correlated [ 1 ]. Furthermore, some studies have reported that presence of meaning correlates with having greater concern for others [ 55 – 57 ], and so presence of meaning may also be related to the motivation to perform prosocial actions. Therefore, to avoid presence of meaning suppressing the relationship between search for meaning and prosociality, we included it as a co-variate where appropriate.…”

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Extending our earlier studies, Study 4 sought to control for two major aspects of personality that have been previously related to both meaning-seeking and prosocial behavior. Both Big-5 traits Agreeableness and Open-mindedness have been shown to relate to search for meaning [ 57 , 65 ], and both dimensions often predict prosociality [ 66 , 67 ]. Therefore, it may be the case that these traits account for the relationship between meaning-seeking and prosociality.…”

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Searching for meaning is associated with costly prosociality

et al. 2021

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The study of meaning in life has largely centered on its relationship with personal well-being, while a focus on how meaning is related to enhancing the well-being of others has received less research attention. Although searching for meaning may imply lower personal well-being, we find that meaning-seekers are more motivated to perform costly prosocial actions for the sake of others’ well-being, given the perceived meaningfulness of these behaviors. Studies 1–4 (N = 780) show that meaning-seeking correlates with the motivation to engage in a range of costly prosocial behaviors. Meaning-seeking is further shown to be distinct from pursuing happiness in its relationship with costly prosociality (Study 2 & 3) and to share a stronger association with high-cost than low-cost prosociality (Study 3 & 4). Study 5 (N = 370; pre-registered) further shows that the search for meaning is related to costly prosocial behavior in the recent past. While our studies are cross-sectional, the pattern of findings suggests that seeking meaning (rather than happiness) may play an important role in motivating altruistic tendencies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Searching for meaning is associated with costly prosociality

et al. 2021

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“…Recent work has shown that existential anxiety is associated with symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and chronic pain (Abdollahi et al., 2011; Brown et al., 2015; Gebler & Maercker, 2014; Zhang et al., 2016). Existential anxiety appears to be particularly relevant to disorders that seem to confront individuals with the human condition and the impermanence of existence (e.g., PTSD and chronic pain).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Memento mori: Understanding existential anxiety through the existential pathway model

Reed

Williamson

Wickham

2020

J. Theo. Soc. Psychol.

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Existentially derived frameworks have become more popular among researchers investigating a number of clinical areas, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. Nevertheless, the concept of existential anxiety has often been perceived as overly abstract and conceptually amorphous, which severely limits the ability of empirical research to objectively decipher the corresponding intrapsychic processes. Contemporary existential thought, particularly terror management theory, considers awareness of our own mortality as a driving factor behind many of our motivations as human beings (e.g., meaning‐making and connecting with others). By clearly delineating the pathways from death awareness to different manifestations of existential anxiety, clinicians and researchers would have a clearer framework through which to study existential anxiety. The present work introduces the concept of existential pathways as a way of recognizing, discerning, and addressing the causes of existential cognitions, affect, and behaviors within both clinical and research settings. Contemporary existential thought and empirically validated findings within terror management theory are used to develop a conceptual model of how death awareness potentially leads to thoughts, emotions, motivations, and behaviors associated with eight existential constructs: death anxiety, meaning, isolation, freedom, vulnerability, facticity, identity, and chaos. Clinical and research implications are discussed within the context of the existential pathway model, providing guidance on how the model may be used to harness behavioral change and inform research methodology.

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“…Dalam hal ini para peneliti berusaha memahami kontestasi 'penerimaan' dalam studi reception sebagaimana Zanker dan Thorarinsson yang menganalisis penerimaan (reception) dan makna (meaning) yang diperdebatkan oleh para peneliti, dan dalam kajiannya ia menyarankan bahwa semua 'penerjemahan' (interpretation) terukur dalam penerimaan (Zanker & Thorarinsson, 2011). Dari sini dapat ditarik gagasan bahwa untuk dapat memahami bagaimana penerimaan publik, penerjemahan individu dipertimbangkan sebagai instrumen penerimaan public (Zhang, Sang, Chen, Zhu, & Deng, 2018). Selain itu, aspek dari penerimaan nampak berhubungan dengan pemahaman seseorang yang secara rasional hal ini memiliki asosiasi dengan penerjemahan makna sebagaimana telah disarankan oleh para ahli.…”

Section: Konseptualisasi Resepsi Dan Resistensi Masyarakatunclassified

Resepsi dan Resistensi: Respons Masyarakat terhadap Jamaah An-Nadzir sebagai Komunitas Muslim di Tengah Arus Demokratisasi di Indonesia

Pabbajah

2020

Relig. J. Agama dan Lintas Budaya

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The fact that the reformation having been running for more than two decades is still found being influencial in Indonesia today. One of the impacts is the opening of spaces for religious expression in public sphere in the name of democratization. The experience of Jamaah An-Nadzir is an exmple in wich this study is beeing carried out. This work is intended to explore the public response to Jamaah An-Nadzir's existence as a non-maintstream Islamic religious community in the Mawang area, Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi as the product of the reformation. This study uses a qualitative descriptive research approach, with data research methods through observation, interviews and literature studies related to the object of study. Three forms of paradoxical response of society in seeing the existence of Jamaah An-Nadzir were found in this work. First, there is a response to the resistance of th representatives of religious figures who reject the reasons for Islamic reasons, while there are those who accept that they are a community that only has different understanding in Islam or khilafiyah. Second, the response of the surrounding community shows that they tend to accept the An-nadzir community and enter into land management although a few people reject the strange name of the community and show an acceptional understanding to their physical appearance. Third, the local government's persuasive response to An-Nadzir is supported by a community empowerment approach in social and economic aspects. Likewise, the flow of democratization as an external factor cannot be separated from the existence of communities, Jamaah An-Nadzir was no exception. Thus, An-nadzir's existence can be accepted today, although they still has resistance from several elements. This study suggests the need for further study of this kind of religious community which is still undocumented, so that it can be mapped geographically for the life of the nation and state in the democratization era.

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Need for Meaning, Meaning Confusion, Meaning Anxiety, and Meaning Avoidance: Additional Dimensions of Meaning in Life

Cited by 19 publications

References 47 publications

Searching for meaning is associated with costly prosociality

Searching for meaning is associated with costly prosociality

Memento mori: Understanding existential anxiety through the existential pathway model

Resepsi dan Resistensi: Respons Masyarakat terhadap Jamaah An-Nadzir sebagai Komunitas Muslim di Tengah Arus Demokratisasi di Indonesia

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