TY - JOUR
T1 - Experiential appreciation as a pathway to meaning in life
AU - Kim, Jinhyung
AU - Holte, Patricia
AU - Martela, Frank
AU - Shanahan, Colin
AU - Li, Zhanhong
AU - Zhang, Hong
AU - Eisenbeck, Nikolett
AU - Carreno, David F.
AU - Schlegel, Rebecca J.
AU - Hicks, Joshua A.
N1 - Funding Information:
None of these studies were supported by funding sources. We thank B. Schmeichel, M. Vess and K. McLean for comments on a previous version of this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
PY - 2022/5
Y1 - 2022/5
N2 - A key research program within the meaning in life (MIL) literature aims to identify the key contributors to MIL. The experience of existential mattering, purpose in life and a sense of coherence are currently posited as three primary contributors to MIL. However, it is unclear whether they encompass all information people consider when judging MIL. Based on the ideas of classic and contemporary MIL scholars, the current research examines whether valuing one’s life experiences, or experiential appreciation, constitutes another unique contributor to MIL. Across seven studies, we find support for the idea that experiential appreciation uniquely predicts subjective judgements of MIL, even after accounting for the contribution of mattering, purpose and coherence to these types of evaluations. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that valuing one’s experiences is uniquely tied to perceptions of meaning. Implications for the incorporation of experiential appreciation as a fundamental antecedent of MIL are discussed.
AB - A key research program within the meaning in life (MIL) literature aims to identify the key contributors to MIL. The experience of existential mattering, purpose in life and a sense of coherence are currently posited as three primary contributors to MIL. However, it is unclear whether they encompass all information people consider when judging MIL. Based on the ideas of classic and contemporary MIL scholars, the current research examines whether valuing one’s life experiences, or experiential appreciation, constitutes another unique contributor to MIL. Across seven studies, we find support for the idea that experiential appreciation uniquely predicts subjective judgements of MIL, even after accounting for the contribution of mattering, purpose and coherence to these types of evaluations. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that valuing one’s experiences is uniquely tied to perceptions of meaning. Implications for the incorporation of experiential appreciation as a fundamental antecedent of MIL are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124571168&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41562-021-01283-6
DO - 10.1038/s41562-021-01283-6
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85124571168
SN - 2397-3374
VL - 6
SP - 677
EP - 690
JO - Nature Human Behaviour
JF - Nature Human Behaviour
IS - 5
ER -