Social Threats, Happiness, and the Dynamics of Meaning in Life Judgments

Abstract

Four studies examined social relatedness and positive affect (PA) as alternate sources of information for judgments of meaning in life (MIL). In Studies 1 through 3 (total N = 282), priming loneliness increased reliance on PA and decreased reliance on social functioning in MIL judgments. In Study 4 (N = 138), daily assessments of PA, relatedness needs satisfaction (RNS), and MIL were obtained every 5 days over 20 days. Multilevel modeling showed that on days when RNS was low, PA was strongly related to MIL. Results suggest the dynamic ways that social relationships and PA inform judgments of MIL. Informational and motivational accounts of these results are discussed.

Dreaming of a Brighter Future: Anticipating Happiness Instills Meaning in Life

“…Experimental and correlational work by King et al (2006), for example, indicated that people who possess dispositional high positive affect or were induced with positive affect in turn reported greater perceived meaning in life. Follow-up research (Hicks et al 2010) further confirmed that everyday life positive affect is a key predictor of perceived meaning in life. We build on these earlier findings by recognizing the connection between perceptions of meaning and the experience of forms of positive affect, and in particular happiness.…”

Finding meaning through emotional understanding: emotional clarity predicts meaning in life and adjustment to existential threat

“…If we are correct that emotional clarity should help downregulate threats to meaning, then those who have a better understanding of their emotions should also be better able to cope with other threats to meaning, such as social exclusion (Hicks et al 2010). Additionally, naturalistic longitudinal designs could investigate whether emotional clarity is a resource for dealing with more extreme meaning threats, such as trauma or loss (Janoff-Bulman 1992).…”

“…To derive meaning from accomplishments (Ryff and Singer 1998), one may need to experience authentic pride with some degree of clarity (Tracy and Robins 2007). Additionally, close relationships provide meaning (Ryff and Singer 1998), but likely do so because they arouse feelings of love, belongingness, and acceptance (Hicks et al 2010). When clearly reflected upon, these emotions give people the impression that they are valued and that they play an important role in other peoples' lives (friend, confidant, guardian).…”

“…For example, social exclusion (e.g., Hicks et al 2010), failure to live up to important values (e.g., Routledge et al 2010), and experiences that violate one's expectations (e.g., Heintzelman et al 2013) compromise a sense of meaning in life. In addition, as many scholars have asserted (e.g., Becker 1973;Greenberg et al 1986), humans' acute awareness of their mortality represents a particularly potent threat to the meaningfulness of life.…”

On knowing more than we can tell: Intuitive processes and the experience of meaning

“…Hicks & King, 2008Hicks, Trent, Davis, & King, 2012;King et al, 2006). The relationship between positive mood and meaning in life is especially strong when other sources of meaning in life are absent, lacking, or threatened (Hicks & King, 2008;Hicks, Schlegel, & King, 2010) and is amplified with age and limited time (Hicks et al, 2012). This very strong association is demonstrated, as well, in research showing that subliminal primes of words such as happy, jovial, and content lead to higher reports of meaning in life compared to a control condition, even though these words have no effect on explicit mood (King et al, 2006).…”