The cognitive complexity of a happy life, a meaningful life, and a psychologically rich life

Abstract

Is a psychologically rich life a more cognitively complex one? In two studies, we explored whether individual differences in happiness, meaning in life, and psychological richness would be differentially associated with information processing styles such as attributional complexity, holism, and essentialism. In Study 1 (N = 436), we found that psychological richness was associated with greater attributional complexity, holism, and less essentialism, whereas happiness was associated with less attributional complexity. Meaning was also associated with attributional complexity but unrelated to holism and essentialism. In Study 2 (N = 516), a pre-registered replication, we again found that psychological richness was associated with more attributional complexity and holism, and marginally less essentialism. In contrast, happiness and meaning were unrelated to attributional complexity, holism, and essentialism. Across two studies, then, psychological richness was consistently associated with more attributional complexity and holism, whereas happiness and meaning were not. The key findings remained largely the same after controlling for all the Big Five personality traits and demographic variables.