Separating belief in meaning of life from the personal experience of meaning in life: Different relations with religiosity and well-being
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In this paper, we demonstrate that belief in the meaning of life (BMOL), the belief that life in general has meaning, and the psychological experience of meaning in one's own life (MIL) are distinct constructs. We show that BMOL is more strongly associated with religiosity and spirituality, while MIL is more associated with well-being. Since there is currently no scale to measure BMOL to test our hypothesis, we develop the Belief in the Meaning of Life Questionnaire (BiMoLQ) in Study 1 (N=315) and confirm its factor structure in Study 2 (N=285), establishing that BMOL and MIL are separate constructs and underlie different correlates with well-being, religiosity, and spirituality. In Study 3 (N=436), we manipulate the presence of meaning of life and meaning in life in fictional scenarios, showing distinct effects on BMOL and MIL evaluations. We conclude that future research should distinguish these constructs, as they reflect separate realities.
Authors: Joffrey Fuhrer, Frank Martela, Florian Cova
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,170
OpenAlex ID: W4415005255