Meaning-Making Profiles During Emerging Adulthood: A Person-Oriented Approach in the Context of Romantic and Working Conditions. Issue 1 (February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zambelli, Michela; Tagliabue, Semira
• Is Part Of: Emerging adulthood. Volume 11:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 242
• Page End: 256
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Subjects: meaning-making -- transition to adulthood -- person-oriented approach -- latent profile analysis -- well-being; Young adults -- Periodicals; Adolescence -- Periodicals; Teenagers -- Periodicals; Adolescent psychology -- Periodicals; 305
• DOI: 10.1177/21676968221111314
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2167-6968

Abstract

Empirical evidence supported the existence of different meaning-making profiles among youths, however, it is unknown whether these profiles are related to specific transitional conditions. The present study applied a multi-group Latent Profile Analysis to examine the generalizability and criterion-validity of meaning-making profiles across two samples of emerging and young adults living different contextual situations (pre-COVID-19 vs during COVID-19), and to investigate their association with the balanced versus imbalanced conditions in the romantic and work role transitions. Three meaning-making profiles, searchers (high search, average presence of meaning), in-between (low search, average presence), and fulfilled (very low search, high presence) were supported by strong generalizability and criterion-validity evidence (i.e. fulfilled individuals showed higher well-being). As expected, older individuals were more likely to be fulfilled, while gender wasn't a predictor of profiles. Imbalanced individuals in love and work were more likely to be searchers, while fulfilled individuals were predominantly living a balanced condition.