Growth mindset of meaning in Life: Viewing meaning in life as malleable matters

Abstract

Meaning in life contributes to psychological well-being. However, few studies have adopted an implicit theory approach to studying people's beliefs about the malleability of meaning in life. We propose the growth mindset of meaning in life (GMML) as the belief that meaning in life can be developed. In Study 1, we construct the Mindset of Meaning in Life Scale (MMLS) to measure GMML and demonstrate that GMML is distinct from growth mindset of intelligence and meaning in life. As predicted, GMML is positively associated with psychological well-being indicators, including life satisfaction and positive coping styles, and negatively correlated with ill-being measures such as depression and anxiety. In Study 2, tolerance of uncertainty was found to partially mediate the relationships between GMML and depression, anxiety, purpose in life, the presence of and search for meaning in life. Taken together, our findings suggest that GMML is a distinct construct relevant to individuals’ well-being and meaning in life.