Awareness of Meaning: The Mechanism Between Future Orientation and Prosocial Tendency

Abstract

The positive relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency has been consistently reported. However, the possible mechanism has not yet examined. Previous research revealed that the positive effect of future orientation on meaning in life, and the positive effect of meaning in life on prosocial tendency. Therefore, it is hypothesized that meaning in life and its two components (presence of meaning and search for meaning) are potential mediators between the relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency. This study recruited 432 Hong Kong youths aged 15-35 (males: 30.5%; females: 69.5%) to participate in an online cross-sectional survey in the first half of 2020. The survey questionnaire included three scales: including 1) The Scale for Measuring Adult's Prosocialness, 2) Consideration of Future Consequence Scale, and 3) Meaning in Life Questionnaire. The major results showed 1) a significant partial mediation effect of meaning in life on the relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency, and 2) significant partial mediation effects of presence of meaning and search for meaning on the relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency respectively. These findings suggested that developing meaning-centered interventions that can increasing youth's awareness of their meaning in life (past and present) and finding their meaning in life (future) can strengthen the positive effect of future orientation on their prosocial tendency.