Can Goal Conflict be Beneficial to Well-Being? The Chain Mediating Role of Meaning Seeking and Meaning Experience

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20230615

Abstract

Abstract:

Multi-goal pursuit and goal conflict are common phenomena in individual development. Although theoretical studies have shown that goal conflict has a negative effect on well-being, empirical studies have not provided consistent evidence. These contradictory findings may be due to the different nature of the impact path between goal conflict and well-being, making the relationship between the two presents different results in different contexts or conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to further explore the mechanism of the effect of goal conflict on well-being and analyze under what conditions and in what ways goal conflict has positive or negative affects well-being, in order to improve the understanding of the relationship between the two.

Meaning in life is an individual's perception of himself or herself and the nature of his or her existence and what he or she thinks is more important, including two dimensions of meaning experience and meaning seeking. When an individual has two or more conflicting goals at the same time, the current system of meaning is challenged and threatened, and the experience of meaning is reduced or lost. According to the view of eudaimonia, meaning experience is an important prerequisite for well-being and individuals achieve happiness by engaging in activities that realize their potential and bring meaning to life. Therefore, we believe that goal conflict negatively predicts well-being through meaning experience.

According to the perspective of the Meaning-making Model, goal conflict, as a kind of pressure event, is an important motivation to drive individuals to seek meaning, which can improve the level of individuals'meaning seeking. The meaning therapy theory also suggests that meaning seeking helps to stimulate one's internal strength, which is an important prerequisite for happiness and health. So we speculate that goal conflict positively predicts well-being through meaning seeking. Furthermore, meaning seeking is an important way of reconstructing meaning and helping individuals regain meaningful experiences, may promote well-being by increasing the experience of meaning. Therefore, we speculate that goal conflict can also positively predict well-being through the chain mediation of meaning seeking and meaning experience.

Based on these considerations, in order to explore the influence and mechanisms of goal conflict on well-being, the Conflicting Goals Scale, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were used to investigate 627 college students. The results found that: (1)The direct effect of goal conflict on well-being was not significant, but there were two mediating paths of different nature. (2) Meaning seeking and meaning experience as a chain mediating path positively predicted well-being. (3) The path mediated by meaning experience negatively predicted well-being. Whether goal conflict has a positive impact on well-being is related to whether it triggers a meaning-seeking process and whether it results in a positive outcome that enhances the level of meaning experience. This study provides an explanation for the current contradictory results of the relation between goal conflict and well-being and suggests conditions under which goal conflict positively affects well-being.

Key words: goal conflict, well-being, meaning seeking, meaning experience, chain mediating role

摘要： 目的探究目标冲突对幸福感的影响及机制。方法采用冲突目标量表、生命意义量表、积极/消极情绪量表和生活满意度量表对627 名大学生进行调查。结果（1）目标冲突对幸福感的直接效应不显著,但存在两条性质不同的中介路径;（2）以意义寻求和意义体验为链式中介的路径正向预测幸福感;（3）而以意义体验为中介的路径负向预测幸福感。结论目标冲突是否有益于幸福,与其是否引发了意义寻求并由此提升意义体验水平有关。

关键词: 目标冲突, 幸福感, 意义寻求, 意义体验, 链式中介

Sun Wujun, Jiang Yuan, Fang Ping. Can Goal Conflict be Beneficial to Well-Being? The Chain Mediating Role of Meaning Seeking and Meaning Experience[J]. Journal of Psychological Science, 2023, 46(6): 1391-1398.

孙五俊, 姜媛, 方平. 目标冲突能否有益幸福?意义寻求与体验的链式中介作用 ^*[J]. 心理科学, 2023, 46(6): 1391-1398.

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