Revealing the heterogeneity of meaning in life and its relationship with creativity among university students: A latent profile analysis study

Abstract

Meaning in life is crucial for university students' exploration and affirmation of their self-identity, while creativity, as a positive trait, may influence individuals' search for and perception of meaning in life. However, previous studies often employed variable-centered approaches, which might obscure the significant individual differences in meaning in life. Therefore, this study used a person-centered latent profile analysis method to explore the potential categories of meaning in life development among Chinese university students and discussed the relationship between creativity and different types of meaning in life. A total of 1023 participants were surveyed in this study. The results indicated that the latent profile analysis identified four distinct types of meaning in life: Average Meaning group, Early Closure of Meaning group, Meaning Searching group, and High Meaning group. The higher the level of creativity, the more likely participants were to be classified into the High Meaning group. The findings reveal significant heterogeneity in meaning in life among university students and provide targeted insights for enhancing university students' meaning in life.