Publication Type
PhD Dissertation
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
5-2025
Abstract
Scant research has investigated how meaning judgement of an experience are derived; even fewer has examined how these judgements shift over time. To address these gaps, the present research introduced Process/Outcome Meaning Model (POMM)—which proposes that meaning can be derived from two distinct aspects of an experience: its process (i.e., the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that unfold during the experience) and its outcome (i.e., the results or consequences that follow). POMM further suggests that changes in perceived outcomes may lead to corresponding shifts in meaning judgements over time. Across three studies, participants wrote about and reflected on their personal (positive and negative) life experiences. A pilot study established the distinction between process meaning and outcome meaning, showing that meaning judgement from each stage of an experience independently contributed to the overall appraisals of meaning. Study 1 identified antecedents of these two types of meaning: feelings of authenticity and self-efficacy were linked to greater process meaning, while positive implications, lessons and insights were associated with stronger outcome meaning. Finally, Study 2, a four-week longitudinal study, demonstrated that changes in perceived outcomes were associated with shifts in overall meaning judgments over time. Together, these findings illuminate the mechanisms through which people construct meaning and highlight how meaning judgements can shift with new interpretations or developments of the experience.
Keywords
Situational Meaning, Process-Outcome Distinction, Meaning-making
Degree Awarded
PhD in Psychology
Discipline
Personality and Social Contexts | Social Psychology and Interaction
Supervisor(s)
TOV, William
First Page
1
Last Page
134
Publisher
Singapore Management University
City or Country
Singapore
Citation
LAU, Clement Yong Hao.
What makes an experience meaningful: A process/outcome approach. (2025). 1-134.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/etd_coll/775
Copyright Owner and License
Author
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.