The Relationship Between Self-Concept Clarity and Meaning in Life Among Adolescents: Based on Variable-Centered Perspective and Person-Centered Perspective

A clear understanding of one’s identity is essential for adolescents to lead a meaningful and purposeful life. We investigated the relationship between self-concept clarity and meaning in life among 2288 adolescents through a cross-sectional survey, using both variable-centered and person-centered a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yang Yang, Hongyu Wang, Shaoying Gong, Yin Qiu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/948
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Summary:A clear understanding of one’s identity is essential for adolescents to lead a meaningful and purposeful life. We investigated the relationship between self-concept clarity and meaning in life among 2288 adolescents through a cross-sectional survey, using both variable-centered and person-centered approaches. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between self-concept clarity and meaning in life among Chinese adolescents, as well as its dimensions. Three distinct profiles of self-concept clarity were identified among adolescents: high, medium, and low. The profile with high self-concept clarity had the highest meaning in life, followed by the moderate self-concept clarity profile, while the low self-concept clarity group had the lowest meaning in life. The findings underscore the enduring impact of self-concept clarity on adolescents’ meaning in life, affirming its central function within the self-concept structure in shaping meaning in life.
ISSN:2076-328X