Britirh Journal zyxwvutsr of zyxwvutsrqponmlk Psychology zyxwvutsrq (1996), 87, 461477 zyxwvuts 0 1996 The British Psychological Society Printed in Great Britain zyxwv 46 1 Dimensions of life meaning zy : A qualitative investigation at mid-life Kay O’Connot and Kerry Chamberlain* Department of Prychology, M a s q University, Private Bag, Palmerston North, New Zealand Meaning in life is integral to psychological functioning. Empirical research into this construct has focused on sources of meaning. Reker & Wong (1988) have proposed a theoretical outline for a multidimensional structure of meaning which challenges a source-based approach. The present study used a qualitative approach to explore people’s accounts of their experiences of life meaning and focused on the following key dimensions : sources ; cognitive, motivational and affective components ; breadth; and depth. Thirty-eight adults at mid-life were interviewed in depth. Five categories of sources accounted for material reported in previous studies, but a sixth was required to contain experiences of meaning relating to the natural environment. All sources revealed cognitive, motivational and affective components. Accounts showed variation in breadth and depth of meaning, although the assessment of depth proved problematic. Results from this qualitative exploration generally confirm Reker & Wong’s structural model. Furthermore, many people have coherent frameworks of meaning which structure their life experiences, and serve to integrate these theoretical dimensions. Existentialists have suggested that the crucial issues of existence arise from isolation, death, freedom and meaning. The current period has been portrayed as one involving the loss of a meaningful world and a loss of sense of self embedded in a context of meaning (Maddi, 1967; Ruffin, 1984). People, in consequence, are beset by anxieties of doubt and meaninglessness. Psychologists, for the most part, have devoted limited attention to this existential crisis. Meaning in life has been a central feature of this existential debate, and one which clearly has import for psychological functioning. Empirical research strongly supports the importance of meaning in people’s lives. Lack of meaning has been found to relate to psychopathology (Yalom, 1980), lowered well-being (Reker, Peacock & Wong, 1987; Zika & Chamberlain, 1992), substance abuse and suicidal ideation (Harlow, Newcomb & Bender, 1986). Particular groups of people, such as prison inmates (Reker, 1977) and schizophrenic patients (Crumbaugh, 1968 ; Yarnell, 1972), have been found to experience less meaning than people in general. Lack of meaning has also been found to correlate with neuroticism (Pearson & Sheffield, 1974), anxiety (Yarnell, 1972) and anomia (Garfield, 1973). In contrast, higher levels of meaning have been found to correlate positively with self-esteem (Reker, 1977), control (Phillips, 1980; Reker, 1977; Yarnell, 1972) and extraversion (Pearson & * Requests for reprints.