{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7225347649","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261489588","title":"Why Do We Value the Feeling of Meaning in Life? Critiquing Evolutionary Accounts","display_name":"Why Do We Value the Feeling of Meaning in Life? Critiquing Evolutionary Accounts","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-11-05","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7225347649","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261489588","pmid":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42986787"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1177/17456916261489588","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261489588","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261489588","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S27228949","display_name":"Perspectives on Psychological Science","issn_l":"1745-6916","issn":["1745-6916","1745-6924"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core","dongbi-a","erih-plus","jufo-3","ki-jl-2","medline","norway-2","poland-200","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320017","host_organization_name":"SAGE Publishing","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320017"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["SAGE Publishing"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Perspectives on Psychological Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","is_traditional":true,"indexed_in":["crossref","pubmed"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"hybrid","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261489588","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5159937655","display_name":"Christina Lombardi","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2769-1418","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2769-1418"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I165143802","display_name":"The University of Queensland","ror":"https://ror.org/00rqy9422","country_code":"AU","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I165143802"]}],"countries":["AU"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Christina L. Lombardi","raw_affiliation_strings":["Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2769-1418","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I165143802"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5035728245","display_name":"Jonathan Redshaw","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7729-1577","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7729-1577"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I165143802","display_name":"The University of Queensland","ror":"https://ror.org/00rqy9422","country_code":"AU","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I165143802"]}],"countries":["AU"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jonathan Redshaw","raw_affiliation_strings":["Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland","Early Cognitive Development Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7729-1577","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I165143802"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Early Cognitive Development Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I165143802"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5089364263","display_name":"Brendan P. Zietsch","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0274-6140","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0274-6140"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I165143802","display_name":"The University of Queensland","ror":"https://ror.org/00rqy9422","country_code":"AU","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I165143802"]}],"countries":["AU"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Brendan P. Zietsch","raw_affiliation_strings":["Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0274-6140","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I165143802"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5159937655"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I165143802"],"apc_list":{"value":3900,"currency":"USD","value_usd":3900},"apc_paid":{"value":3900,"currency":"USD","value_usd":3900},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.0,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":"17456916261489588","last_page":"17456916261489588"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10475","display_name":"Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction","score":0.39480000734329224,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3207","display_name":"Social Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10475","display_name":"Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction","score":0.39480000734329224,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3207","display_name":"Social Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11118","display_name":"Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior","score":0.36959999799728394,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3205","display_name":"Experimental and Cognitive Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10509","display_name":"Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology","score":0.0820000022649765,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3306","display_name":"Health"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/meaning-in-life","display_name":"meaning in life","score":0.9769999980926514},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/evolutionary-psychology","display_name":"evolutionary psychology","score":0.8479999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/adaptationism","display_name":"adaptationism","score":0.7900000214576721},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mental-time-travel","display_name":"mental time travel","score":0.7089999914169312},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/metacognition","display_name":"metacognition","score":0.996999979019165},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/self-reflection","display_name":"self-reflection","score":0.9950000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/fear-of-death","display_name":"fear of death","score":0.8040000200271606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/prosocial-behavior","display_name":"prosocial behavior","score":0.8629999756813049},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/goal-directed-behavior","display_name":"goal-directed behavior","score":0.8980000019073486},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/associative-learning","display_name":"associative learning","score":0.9390000104904175}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C122980154","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205555","display_name":"Feeling","level":2,"score":0.9002000093460083},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780876879","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3054749","display_name":"Meaning (existential)","level":2,"score":0.7512999773025513},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.6898999810218811},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C158608086","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2990613","display_name":"Prosocial behavior","level":2,"score":0.5763000249862671},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C73282008","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1759895","display_name":"Coping (psychology)","level":2,"score":0.524399995803833},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.510200023651123},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776291640","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2912517","display_name":"Value (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.48809999227523804},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.48730000853538513},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C114234335","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223675","display_name":"Meaning of life","level":3,"score":0.39410001039505005},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127882523","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q38066","display_name":"Existentialism","level":2,"score":0.38190001249313354},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C159423971","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q177251","display_name":"Associative property","level":2,"score":0.3522999882698059},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180747234","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23373","display_name":"Cognitive psychology","level":1,"score":0.3325999975204468},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C183992945","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2495574","display_name":"Universality (dynamical systems)","level":2,"score":0.3287000060081482},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780180825","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q582249","display_name":"Value of life","level":2,"score":0.3264999985694885},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3019207227","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10883614","display_name":"Human life","level":3,"score":0.3111000061035156},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2989147100","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1063","display_name":"Evolutionary theory","level":2,"score":0.299699991941452},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C84269361","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179235","display_name":"Phenomenology (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.27950000762939453}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1177/17456916261489588","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261489588","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261489588","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S27228949","display_name":"Perspectives on Psychological Science","issn_l":"1745-6916","issn":["1745-6916","1745-6924"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core","dongbi-a","erih-plus","jufo-3","ki-jl-2","medline","norway-2","poland-200","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320017","host_organization_name":"SAGE Publishing","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320017"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["SAGE Publishing"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Perspectives on Psychological Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmid:42986787","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42986787","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306525036","display_name":"PubMed","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science","raw_type":"Journal Article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1177/17456916261489588","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261489588","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261489588","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S27228949","display_name":"Perspectives on Psychological Science","issn_l":"1745-6916","issn":["1745-6916","1745-6924"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core","dongbi-a","erih-plus","jufo-3","ki-jl-2","medline","norway-2","poland-200","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320017","host_organization_name":"SAGE Publishing","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320017"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["SAGE Publishing"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Perspectives on Psychological Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":98,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W4859234","https://openalex.org/W1680898947","https://openalex.org/W1861887701","https://openalex.org/W1884538784","https://openalex.org/W1939684408","https://openalex.org/W1966027968","https://openalex.org/W1969929921","https://openalex.org/W1973029906","https://openalex.org/W1991069879","https://openalex.org/W1997286614","https://openalex.org/W1999468830","https://openalex.org/W2003135381","https://openalex.org/W2008699836","https://openalex.org/W2009503271","https://openalex.org/W2018709985","https://openalex.org/W2023732657","https://openalex.org/W2029004471","https://openalex.org/W2039582300","https://openalex.org/W2054432254","https://openalex.org/W2054829784","https://openalex.org/W2054918191","https://openalex.org/W2055265054","https://openalex.org/W2061701915","https://openalex.org/W2066261007","https://openalex.org/W2084669232","https://openalex.org/W2090369286","https://openalex.org/W2093600007","https://openalex.org/W2093950336","https://openalex.org/W2096798307","https://openalex.org/W2098156554","https://openalex.org/W2099550959","https://openalex.org/W2113915320","https://openalex.org/W2116027918","https://openalex.org/W2122436363","https://openalex.org/W2128114660","https://openalex.org/W2129135549","https://openalex.org/W2132284923","https://openalex.org/W2132939537","https://openalex.org/W2133514663","https://openalex.org/W2135099581","https://openalex.org/W2135479081","https://openalex.org/W2137644488","https://openalex.org/W2137985479","https://openalex.org/W2138799866","https://openalex.org/W2141316441","https://openalex.org/W2149129640","https://openalex.org/W2155578313","https://openalex.org/W2156155183","https://openalex.org/W2157300266","https://openalex.org/W2157592153","https://openalex.org/W2157771809","https://openalex.org/W2160691114","https://openalex.org/W2165108227","https://openalex.org/W2167978793","https://openalex.org/W2197251354","https://openalex.org/W2276275277","https://openalex.org/W2287077086","https://openalex.org/W2296534067","https://openalex.org/W2317271178","https://openalex.org/W2435100406","https://openalex.org/W2472188451","https://openalex.org/W2503306165","https://openalex.org/W2504320773","https://openalex.org/W2608396358","https://openalex.org/W2625421660","https://openalex.org/W2796838889","https://openalex.org/W2800341375","https://openalex.org/W2886098652","https://openalex.org/W2945316247","https://openalex.org/W2962805694","https://openalex.org/W2969934191","https://openalex.org/W2985134260","https://openalex.org/W2989561958","https://openalex.org/W2995262050","https://openalex.org/W3021542153","https://openalex.org/W3021969041","https://openalex.org/W3088284248","https://openalex.org/W3094917450","https://openalex.org/W3120477471","https://openalex.org/W3122867100","https://openalex.org/W3127801478","https://openalex.org/W3135705586","https://openalex.org/W3199885693","https://openalex.org/W3210586685","https://openalex.org/W4210824986","https://openalex.org/W4229881852","https://openalex.org/W4321600731","https://openalex.org/W4323567437","https://openalex.org/W4362602543","https://openalex.org/W4367835015","https://openalex.org/W4385775731","https://openalex.org/W4388323238","https://openalex.org/W4393388229","https://openalex.org/W4394888724","https://openalex.org/W4395081033","https://openalex.org/W4395663188","https://openalex.org/W4396580685","https://openalex.org/W4413050047"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W3216844544","https://openalex.org/W2006706320","https://openalex.org/W2502777573","https://openalex.org/W7213264192","https://openalex.org/W166461379","https://openalex.org/W2768984291","https://openalex.org/W1498141138","https://openalex.org/W4224319679","https://openalex.org/W4394570196","https://openalex.org/W2547294814"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Evolutionary":[0],"psychologists":[1],"often":[2],"describe":[3],"the":[4,25,74,81,101,105,126,151,161],"feeling":[5,26,75,106,127],"of":[6,27,76,107,128,136,163],"meaning":[7,28,77,108,129,166],"in":[8,29,78,109,130,167],"life":[9,30,79,110,131,168],"as":[10],"a":[11,36,134],"fundamental":[12],"human":[13,18],"need":[14],"and":[15,57,80,96,144,146,169],"essential":[16],"to":[17,32,83,104,149],"functioning.":[19],"Adaptationist":[20],"accounts":[21,42,63,93],"typically":[22],"suggest":[23,120,170],"that":[24,65,85,89,100,125],"evolved":[31],"enable":[33],"or":[34],"motivate":[35],"specific":[37],"fitness-enhancing":[38],"behavior,":[39,56],"with":[40,59],"most":[41],"clustering":[43],"around":[44],"four":[45],"broad":[46],"categories:":[47],"associative":[48],"learning,":[49],"prosocial":[50],"behavior":[51],"toward":[52],"nonclose":[53],"kin,":[54],"goal-directed":[55],"coping":[58],"death":[60],"anxiety.":[61],"Such":[62],"assume":[64],"people":[66],"would":[67],"perform":[68],"these":[69,90],"behaviors":[70,102],"less":[71],"effectively":[72],"without":[73],"desire":[82],"experience":[84],"feeling.":[86],"We":[87,119],"argue":[88],"existing":[91],"adaptationist":[92],"are":[94],"underspecified,":[95],"it":[97],"is":[98],"possible":[99],"attributed":[103],"may":[111,132],"be":[112,133],"more":[113],"straightforwardly":[114],"explained":[115],"by":[116,155],"other":[117],"mechanisms.":[118],"one":[121],"alternative":[122],"explanation,":[123],"namely":[124],"by-product":[135],"humans'":[137],"capacities":[138],"for":[139,174],"mental":[140],"time":[141],"travel,":[142],"metacognition,":[143],"self-reflection":[145],"their":[147],"attempts":[148],"interpret":[150],"internal":[152],"states":[153],"produced":[154],"those":[156],"capacities.":[157],"Last,":[158],"we":[159],"question":[160],"universality":[162],"concerns":[164],"about":[165],"some":[171],"potential":[172],"avenues":[173],"future":[175],"research.":[176]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-11-07T11:25:07.637180","created_date":"2026-11-06T00:00:00"}