Awareness of meaning and quest for meaning: The mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemic
IntroductionThe positive relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency has been consistently reported. However, the possible mechanism has not been examined yet. Previous research revealed the positive relationship between future orientation and meaning in life, as well as between m...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1046803/full |
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| author | Wai-Kin Lui Chi-Keung Chan Kai-Hang Ng Chi-Fai Raymond Chui Nicolson Yat-Fan Siu Chui-Shan Yung Chui-Shan Yung Ka-Wing Lau |
| author_facet | Wai-Kin Lui Chi-Keung Chan Kai-Hang Ng Chi-Fai Raymond Chui Nicolson Yat-Fan Siu Chui-Shan Yung Chui-Shan Yung Ka-Wing Lau |
| author_sort | Wai-Kin Lui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe positive relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency has been consistently reported. However, the possible mechanism has not been examined yet. Previous research revealed the positive relationship between future orientation and meaning in life, as well as between meaning in life and prosocial tendency. Hence, it is hypothesized that the two components of meaning in life (presence of meaning and search for meaning) possibly mediate the relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency.MethodsDuring the first half of 2020, 430 Hong Kong youths aged 15–35 (male: 30.5%; female: 69.5%) were recruited to participate an online cross-sectional survey. The survey included three scales: (1) The Scale for Measuring Adult’s Prosocialness, (2) Consideration of Future Consequence Scale, and (3) Meaning in Life Questionnaire.ResultsThe key findings showed that: (1) females had higher level of prosocial tendency than males, and (2) significant partial mediating effects of both presence of meaning and search for meaning on the relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency. Nevertheless, the multi-group mediation model did not show significant gender difference.DiscussionThese findings implied that future-oriented and meaning-focused interventions could possibly enhance youth’s sense of meaning in everyday life and foster their meaning searching tendency, which further strengthen the positive effect of their future orientation on prosocial tendency, even during life adversities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:16:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7bb21784551a4dfa9f62a05596f2ba85 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:16:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7bb21784551a4dfa9f62a05596f2ba852022-12-22T03:02:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-12-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.10468031046803Awareness of meaning and quest for meaning: The mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemicWai-Kin Lui0Chi-Keung Chan1Kai-Hang Ng2Chi-Fai Raymond Chui3Nicolson Yat-Fan Siu4Chui-Shan Yung5Chui-Shan Yung6Ka-Wing Lau7Department of Counselling and Psychology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, ChinaSchool of Arts and Humanities, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Counselling and Psychology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Social Work, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, ChinaDivision of Social Science, School of Humanities and Social Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, ChinaSchool of Arts and Humanities, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong, ChinaDivision of Social Science, School of Humanities and Social Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Counselling and Psychology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, ChinaIntroductionThe positive relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency has been consistently reported. However, the possible mechanism has not been examined yet. Previous research revealed the positive relationship between future orientation and meaning in life, as well as between meaning in life and prosocial tendency. Hence, it is hypothesized that the two components of meaning in life (presence of meaning and search for meaning) possibly mediate the relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency.MethodsDuring the first half of 2020, 430 Hong Kong youths aged 15–35 (male: 30.5%; female: 69.5%) were recruited to participate an online cross-sectional survey. The survey included three scales: (1) The Scale for Measuring Adult’s Prosocialness, (2) Consideration of Future Consequence Scale, and (3) Meaning in Life Questionnaire.ResultsThe key findings showed that: (1) females had higher level of prosocial tendency than males, and (2) significant partial mediating effects of both presence of meaning and search for meaning on the relationship between future orientation and prosocial tendency. Nevertheless, the multi-group mediation model did not show significant gender difference.DiscussionThese findings implied that future-oriented and meaning-focused interventions could possibly enhance youth’s sense of meaning in everyday life and foster their meaning searching tendency, which further strengthen the positive effect of their future orientation on prosocial tendency, even during life adversities.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1046803/fullmeaning in lifepresence of meaningsearch for meaningfuture orientationprosocial tendencyChinese youth |
| spellingShingle | Wai-Kin Lui Chi-Keung Chan Kai-Hang Ng Chi-Fai Raymond Chui Nicolson Yat-Fan Siu Chui-Shan Yung Chui-Shan Yung Ka-Wing Lau Awareness of meaning and quest for meaning: The mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemic Frontiers in Psychology meaning in life presence of meaning search for meaning future orientation prosocial tendency Chinese youth |
| title | Awareness of meaning and quest for meaning: The mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemic |
| title_full | Awareness of meaning and quest for meaning: The mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Awareness of meaning and quest for meaning: The mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Awareness of meaning and quest for meaning: The mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemic |
| title_short | Awareness of meaning and quest for meaning: The mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemic |
| title_sort | awareness of meaning and quest for meaning the mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemic |
| topic | meaning in life presence of meaning search for meaning future orientation prosocial tendency Chinese youth |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1046803/full |
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