Meaning is widely regarded as central to human experience. Frankl (1969) con-sidered “will
to meaning” the primary human motive, arguing that the main goal in life is not to gain …

Considered the most comprehensive handbook in the field, this rich resource reviews the
biological, psychological, and social factors that affect health, health behavior, and illness …

The purpose of this review paper is to present a case for more proximal and emic
approaches to the study of religious meaning-making in suffering. Meaning-making is an …

In this chapter, we present the view that a deeply rooted need for a functional meaning
system underlies the highly prevalent embrace of religion across time and place. The need …

This chapter delineates pathways through which three protective and resilience-related
resources—meaning, spirituality, and stress-related growth—promote health and well-being …

In recent years, research documenting the myriad ways in which religious and spiritual
meaning systems influence multiple aspects of human cognition, emotion and behavior …

This article explores the potential contributions of a model of meaning making (Park 2010a)
to the emerging study of implicit religion. A model of meaning making is first explicated; this …

It is surprising that psychology—literally the “study of the soul”—does not seem to have a
natural affinity for religious communities, where the life of the soul has been considered and …

In this chapter, the authors consider a particular—and nearly universal—form of meaning:
the one provided by religious beliefs. The authors consider an existential function of religion …

Intimate partner violence (IPV), a significant public health problem among low-income
African American women, often has negative sequelae. Despite this, many women in …