The Psychology of Meaning in Life

Cover
Half Title
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
List of figures
List of tables
Acknowledgements
1 Searching for meaning?
	1.1 Why a feel-good society is not a meaningful society
	1.2 (Facing up to) questions of meaning
	1.3 Know thyself!
	1.4 Literature
2 Defining meaning
	2.1 Etymology
	2.2 Philosophical definition
	2.3 Meaning in life: a multidimensional construct
	2.4 A brief discourse: why achieving meaningfulness is a demanding task in our time
	2.5 Know thyself!
	2.6 Literature
3 Measuring meaning in life
	3.1 In-depth research: qualitative studies
	3.2 Broad-based research: quantitative measurement
	3.3 At the interface: the SoMe-Card Method
	3.4 Literature
4 Meaning as attribution
	4.1 The hierarchic model of meaning
	4.2 Vertical and horizontal coherence
	4.3 “No man is an island”: the environment’s role
	4.4 And how does it feel?
	4.5 Know thyself!
	4.6 Literature
5 Varieties of meaning
	5.1 Interindividual differences in meaningfulness and sources of meaning
	5.2 Meaning is dynamic: changes over the lifespan
	5.3 Meaning in life and sources of meaning for men and women
	5.4 Meaning in life, education and intelligence
	5.5 Meaning is dynamic: changes across activities and days
	5.6 A brief discourse: studying – often pointless, usually no fun?
	5.7 Know thyself!
	5.8 Literature
6 Sources of meaning
	6.1 The strongest predictors of meaning
	6.2 Breadth, balance and depth of sources of meaning
	6.3 Many roads to meaning
	6.4 Brief discourse: on worldview and meaning
	6.5 Know thyself!
	6.6 Literature
7 The social dimension of meaning in life
	7.1 Asked directly: social relationships as primary sources of meaning
	7.2 Family and friendship as sources of meaning?
	7.3 Meaning and marital status
	7.4 Children as a source of meaning
	7.5 Social inclusion
	7.6 From social inclusion to meaning – or vice versa?
	7.7 Social inclusion at work
	7.8 Know thyself!
	7.9 Literature
8 Crises of meaning – when foundations shake
	8.1 A lack of meaning
	8.2 Are Western societies in a crisis of meaning?
	8.3 Overcoming crises of meaning
	8.4 A brief discourse: pilgrimage – on the way to meaning
	8.5 Know thyself!
	8.6 Literature
9 Existential indifference
	9.1 Whatever!
	9.2 How to assess existential indifference
	9.3 Relationships and explanatory approaches
	9.4 Ways out of indifference?
	9.5 Know thyself!
	9.6 Literature
10 Meaning and happiness
	10.1 Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being
	10.2 Meaning without happiness
	10.3 Know thyself!
	10.4 Literature
11 Meaning, health and illness
	11.1 Can meaning in life improve your health?
	11.2 From mind to body
	11.3 “I can’t go on!” Crises of meaning prevent recovery
	11.4 Posttraumatic growth
	11.5 Know thyself!
	11.6 Literature
12 Meaning-centred interventions
	12.1 Gaining meaning from a meta-perspective – life reviews
	12.2 Meaning-oriented psychotherapy
	12.3 Know thyself!
	12.4 Literature
13 Meaning in work
	13.1 The search for meaning in work
	13.2 What is meaningful work?
	13.3 Correlates of meaningful work
	13.4 You can’t save the world every day! Risks of meaningful work
	13.5 The job as a source of meaning?
	13.6 Brief discourse: voluntary work – meaningful commitment
	13.7 Know thyself!
	13.8 Literature
14 Outlook
	14.1 Caught in the system?
	14.2 Meaning is subjective – eudaimonia calls for justice
	14.3 Literature
Index