The Meaning Sextet: A Systematic Literature Review and Further Validation of a Universal Typology of Meaning in Life

Abstract

Many researchers have asked what individuals experience as meaningful, valuable, purposeful, or important in life. However, there seems little consensus about a world-wide typology of meaning. This project aimed to identify a comprehensive universal typology of meaning in life in the empirical literature, and to find additional support for this typology. Study 1 included a systematic literature review on all studies on meaning in life, to identify types and sub-types of meaning via thematic analysis. Study 2 conceptually compared these findings with other published meaning typologies. Study 3 operationalized this typology in the “Meaning Sextet Questionnaire” (MSQ). The MSQ was developed in a sequential mixed-methods study design, consisting of the sub-studies of Item-development, Three-Step-Test-Interview, an informal feasibility study and a formal survey. The literature review identified 6 types and 29 sub-types of meaning in 107 studies in 45.710 participants, which integrated and extended other published typologies: materialistic types of meaning (material conditions, professional-educational success), hedonistic types (hedonistic/embodied experiences), self-oriented types (resilience, self-efficacy, self-acceptance, autonomy, creative self-expression, self-care), social types (social connections, belonging, conformism, altruism, and children), larger types (purposes, personal growth, temporality, justice/ethics, and spirituality/religion), existential-philosophical types (being-alive, unique, free, grateful, and responsible). The MSQ confirmed the universality of this meaning sextet in 1281 participants in 49 countries, with factor-structure and correlations as expected with other questionnaires. Materialistic, hedonistic, and self-oriented meanings correlate with low psychological well-being, and social and larger meanings with large psychological well-being. In sum, the meaning sextet seems to be a comprehensive valid typology of meaning in life which may be used in psychological therapies, counseling, coaching and education.

Acknowledgements

The author expresses his large gratitude to his colleagues who have helped him in the searching and reviewing of the literature, and for the proof-reading of this article.