Cross-cultural generalizability of the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale to China: Meaning making as a human universal

Abstract

Meaning is an essential dimension of human flourishing. The research in the psychology of meaning, spanning many decades, has developed several measures to define its structure. Over time, scholars have hypothesized that meaning is better understood as multidimensional, consisting of independent concepts. One of the most influential to date is George and Park's (2017) tripartite model. Other scholars have developed models of meaning in which meaning represents one aspect of human psychology known as the Numinous that proposes an ontological origin that gives rise to meaning-making. This study tested the three-dimensional model of the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale (MEMS) in China. Ultimately, this study found that the simplified Chinese version of the MEMS supported a unidimensional model with three sub-facets with strong evidence of convergent validity and internal consistency. The findings were consistent to the Numinous model which helped contextualize the MEMS into a framework of existential ultimacy.