Meaninggrowing

Meaninggrowing is a term used to describe the ongoing process by which people develop, revise, and expand the meanings they attribute to experiences, information, or social contexts. It includes interpretation, sensemaking, and the construction of coherent personal and collective understandings. The term is relatively new and is used in discussions of education, psychology, and media literacy to emphasize growth rather than fixed conclusions.

Origins and usage: Meaninggrowing has emerged in contemporary discourse as a blend of meaning-making and growth. It is not yet standardized across disciplines, and definitions vary according to context. Some writers treat it as an umbrella for reflective practice that strengthens cognitive flexibility and values-based understanding.

Mechanisms: Meaninggrowing relies on reflective writing, dialogue, narrative reconstruction, perspective-taking, and deliberate exposure to diverse viewpoints. Practice that links new information to prior knowledge and reframes assumptions is central, as is social interaction that tests interpretations against others’ experiences.

Applications: In education, meaninggrowing informs teaching strategies that foster critical thinking and deep learning. In psychology, it relates to identity development and cognitive growth. In media literacy, it supports active analysis of texts and contexts to expand interpretation and meaning.

Measurement and limitations: Researchers assess growth through qualitative interviews, reflective journals, and content analysis of written or spoken reflections. Some propose formal scales, but critics note conceptual overlap with existing terms such as meaning-making and sensemaking and warn against vagueness or cultural bias.

See also: meaning-making, sensemaking, interpretive learning.