The Human Quest for Meaning ─ Theories, Research, and Applications

The first edition of The Human Quest for Meaning was a major publication on the empirical research of meaning in life and its vital role in well-being, resilience, and psychotherapy. This new edition continues that quest and seeks to answer the questions, what is the meaning of life? How do we explain what constitutes meaningful relationships, work, and living?The answers, as the eminent scholars and practitioners who contributed to this text find, are neither simple nor straightforward. While seeking to clarify subjective vs. objective meaning in 21 new and 7 revised chapters, the authors also address the differences in cultural contexts, and identify 8 different sources of meaning, as well as at least 6 different stages in the process of the search for meaning. They also address different perspectives, including positive psychology, self-determination, integrative, narrative, and relational perspectives, to ensure that readers obtain the most thorough information possible. Mental health practitioners will find the numerous meaning-centered interventions, such as the PURE and ABCDE methods, highly useful in their own work with facilitating healing and personal growth in their clients. The Human Quest for Meaning represents a bold new vision for the future of meaning-oriented research and applications. No one seeking to truly understand the human condition should be without it.

Paul T. P. Wong, PhD, is a registered clinical psychologist in Ontario, Canada. He is president of the International Network on Personal Meaning, editor of the International Journal of Personal Meaning, and has held professional positions at various universities.

Lopez, Foreword. Part I: Theories. Wong, Toward a Dual-Systems Model of What Makes Life Worth Living. Klinger, The Search for Meaning in Evolutionary Perspective and its Clinical Implications. Maddi, Creating Meaning Through Making Decisions. Weinstein, Ryan, Deci, Motivation, Meaning, and Wellness: A Self-Determination Perspective on the Creation and Internalization of Personal Meanings and Life Goals. McAdamns, Meaning and Personality. King, Hicks, Positive Affect and Meaning in Life: The Intersection of Hedonism and Eudaimonia. Shmotkin, Shrira, On the Distinction Between Subjective Well-Being and Meaning in Life: Regulatory Versus Reconstructive Functions in the Face of a Hostile World. Steger, Experiencing Meaning in Life: Optimal Functioning at the Nexus of Well-Being, Psychopathology, and Spirituality. Aron, Aron, The Meaning of Love. Tomer, Meaning and Death Attitudes. Ryff, Existential Well-Being and Health. Kwee, Relational Buddhism: A Psychological Quest for Meaning and Sustainable Happiness. Part II: Research. Peterson, Park, Character Strengths and the Life of Meaning. Sommer, Baumeister, Stillman, The Construction of Meaning from Life Events: Empirical Studies of Personal Narratives. Beike, Crone, Autobiographical Memory and Personal Meaning: Stable Versus Flexible Meanings of Remembered Life Experiences. Shek, Life Meaning and Purpose in Life Among Chinese Adolescents: What Can We Learn from Chinese Studies in Hong Kong? Macdonald, Wong, Gingras, Meaning-in-Life Measures and Development of a Brief Version of the Personal Meaning Profile. Reker, Birren, Svensson, Restoring, Maintaining, and Enhancing Personal Meaning in Life Through Autobiographical Methods. Krause, Meaning in Life and Healthy Aging. Reker, Wong, Personal Meaning in Life and Psychosocial Adaptation in the Later Years. Aspinwall, Leaf, Leachman, Meaning and Agency in the Context of Genetic Testing for Familial Cancer. Part III: Applications. Slattery, Park, Clinical Approaches to Discrepancies in Meaning: Conceptualization, Assessment, and Treatment. Park, Meaning and Meaning Making in Cancer Survivorship. Wrosch, Scheier, Miller, Carver, When Meaning is Threatened: The Importance of Goal Adjustment for Psychological and Physical Health. Tedeschi, Calhoun, Pathways to Personal Transformation: Theoretical and Empirical Developments. Ventegodt, Merrick, The Human Heart or Recovering the Meaning of Life: A Theory Integrating Sexuality, Meaning of Life, and Sense of Coherence Applied in Holistic Therapy. Wong, Wong, A Meaning-Centered Approach to Building Youth Resilience. Wong, From Logotherapy to Meaning-Centered Counseling and Therapy.