I Gotta Say, Today Was a Good (and Meaningful) Day: Daily Meaning in Life as a Potential Basic Psychological Need

Benjamin W. Hadden () and C. Veronica Smith ()
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Benjamin W. Hadden: Purdue University
C. Veronica Smith: University of Mississippi

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2019, vol. 20, issue 1, No 11, 185-202

Abstract: Abstract Prior research has found that global meaning in life promotes several forms of well-being such as better coping and lower stress, and suggests that meaning in life is a common experience that is shaped by daily experiences. We build on this research by testing the possibility that meaning is a basic psychological need. In Study 1, participants (N = 195) completed a 21-day diary that included daily assessments of depressive symptomology, affect, and self-esteem. In Study 2, participants (N = 142) completed a 14-day diary, adding stress and vitality as additional indicators of well-being. Across both studies, we found that meaning in life is a consistent predictor of psychological well-being. Further, in Study 2, we tested the unique role of meaning in life against other basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness), finding that meaning in life continues to predict well-being even in the presence of other psychological needs.

Keywords: Meaning; Well-being; Self-determination theory; Need satisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-017-9946-y

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