Finding meaning in self-control: The effect of self-control on the perception of meaning in life

Figures & data

Table 1. Means, standard deviations and correlations among the variables, Study 1.

		M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6
1	Trait self-control	3.41	0.77	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Meaning in life (presence)	4.47	0.98	.382***	-	-	-	-	-
3	Meaning in life (search)	4.35	1.67	−.232***	−.266***	-	-	-	-
4	Life satisfaction	6.79	2.45	.363***	.656***	−.233***	-	-	-
5	Daily meaning	4.56	1.70	.406***	.636***	−.208***	.670***	-	-
6	Daily happiness	5.23	1.29	.362***	.455***	−.269***	.640***	.713***	-
7	Daily self-control failure	2.62	1.50	−.386***	−.019	.027	−.117*	−.067	−.20***

*p < .05, ** p < .01, ***p < .001. Correlations with daily measures are average correlations across daily surveys.

Table 2. Descriptive statistics and zero-order correlations, Study 2.

		M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	Self-control	3.48	0.82	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Goal progress	3.93	1.15	.513***	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	Experience of structure in life	4.76	1.20	.548***	.448***	-	-	-	-	-
4	Meaning in life (presence)	4.68	1.71	.483***	.324***	.688***	-	-	-	-
5	Meaning in life (search)	4.19	1.71	−.179**	.025	−.092	−.254***	-	-	-
6	Negative emotions	1.49	0.65	−.532***	−.339***	−.425***	−.372***	.172**	-	-
7	Positive emotions	3.10	0.90	.436***	.400***	.553***	.543***	−.030	−.333***	-
8	Life satisfaction	6.53	2.35	.468***	.464***	.640***	.708***	−.123*	−.411***	.598***

p < .05, ** p < .01, ***p < .001

Table 3. Multiple regression analysis on the presence of meaning in life, Study 2.

	Without controls				With controls
	Model 1a		Model 2a		Model 1b		Model 2b
Predictor	B	β	B	β	B	β	B	β
Independent variable
Self-control	1.01	.48***	0.34	.16**	0.29	.14**	0.17	.08
Mediators
Goal progress	-	-	−0.05	−.04	-	-	−0.15	−.10*
Experience of structure in life	-	-	0.88	.61***	-	-	0.52	.36***
Control variables
Meaning in life (search)	-	-	-	-	−.16	−.16***	−0.15	−.15***
Negative emotions	-	-	-	-	−.01	−.002	0.06	.02
Positive emotions	-	-	-	-	.31	.16**	0.20	.10*
Life satisfaction	-	-	-	-	.38	.53***	0.30	.41***
Multiple R	.48***		.70***		.75***		.80***
∆R^2			.26***				.07***
Adjusted R^2	.23***		.49***		.56***		.63***

*p < .05, ** p < .01, ***p < .001

Figure 1. Mediation analysis, Study 2.

Table 4. Descriptive statistics and zero-order correlations, Study 3.

		M	SD	1	2	3
1	Self-control	3.41	0.81	-	-	-
2	Meaning in life	4.86	1.50	.532***	-	-
3	Experience of structure in life	4.85	1.03	.527***	.646***	-
4	Personal need for structure	3.50	0.73	.086	−.050	.107*

* p < .05, ** p < .01, ***p < .001

Figure 2. Mediation analysis, Study 3.

Figure 3. Moderated mediation analysis, Study 3.