Meaning in life is commonly understood as a person's sense of coherence, purpose, or significance (Martela & Steger, 2016). Coherence refers to the degree to which a person understands and can make sense of one's own life. Purpose refers to having a direction and being able to define core goals. Significance refers to a feeling that life is valuable and worth living (Martela & Steger, 2016).

Meaning in life was measured using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) (Steger et al., 2006). The MLQ is a 10-item self-report scale designed to measure the presence of and search for meaning in life. 

Paragraph on importance - connecting back to the UMD Grand Challenges

Check out the research below that the students of the  PSYC 300 class have conducted on this topic!