Self-Reports of Meaning in Life Matter

• Published in: The American psychologist 2015-09, Vol.70 (6), p.575-576
• Main Authors: Heintzelman, Samantha J, King, Laura A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Conceptualization; Criticism; Humans; Life; Meaning; Methodology; Motivation; Personal Satisfaction; Phenomenological research; Positive Psychology; Psychology; Self; Well Being
• ISSN: 0003-066X; 1935-990X
• DOI: 10.1037/a0039483

Replies to the comments made by Friedman (see record 2015-39598-012), Jeffery & Shackelford (see record 2015-39598-013), Brown & Wong (see record 2015-39598-014), Fowers & Lefevor (see record 2015-39598-015), Hill et al. (see record 2015-39598-016) on the current authors' original article, "Life is pretty meaningful," (see record 2014-03265-001). The current authors thank the comment authors for their efforts, and acknowledge their dedication to what is often a difficult and inscrutable construct, meaning in life. One lesson the current authors have learned from these reactions is that a review of self-report responses to items like "My life is purposeful and meaningful" cannot encompass the entirety of the meaning-in-life landscape. In this reply, the current authors reflect on aspects of the commentaries, highlighting what they can garner about meaning in life from the portion of it that is reflected in phenomenological experience and represented in self-reports: These are the data they have. The current authors first consider three methodological concerns that bear on whether these data are informative (at all) and then they consider more conceptual critiques.