What does it all mean?

Abstract

Recent work suggests that while a sense of meaning in life often provides benefits for well-being, it is not the inherent need it has been made out to be (Steger, Oishi, & Kesebir, 2011). The current study sought to build on this research and explore how uncertainty and mood affect meaning in life and life satisfaction. In an experiment based on Wilson, Centerbar, Kermer, and Gilbert (2005), participants watched short versions of a happy or sad movie, and were made to feel certain or uncertain about the fate of the characters. It was hypothesized that participants who felt uncertain would generally report greater meaning in life than those who felt certain. Movie condition was expected to interact with uncertainty so that that those who saw a happy movie in the uncertain condition would report the greatest life satisfaction. These hypotheses were not supported and possible shortcomings are discussed.