Meaningmaking

Meaningmaking is the process by which individuals interpret and integrate experiences, events, and information into coherent beliefs, values, and goals. It encompasses cognitive appraisal, emotional adjustment, and narrative reorganization, shaping how people understand themselves and their world. Meaningmaking is both a spontaneous and a goal-directed activity that can occur across everyday life, when facing adversity, and during significant life transitions, including illness, loss, or trauma.

The term is used across psychology, sociology, anthropology, and organizational studies. Theoretical perspectives include sensemaking, which focuses on how people create shared interpretations of ambiguous situations, and meaningmaking models that emphasize personal reconstruction of global beliefs and life goals in light of specific events. In health contexts, models distinguish global meaning (general beliefs and purposes) from situational meaning (appraisals of a particular event) and describe how people revise either to restore coherence. Meaningmaking is linked to coping processes, emotional regulation, and the potential for growth or change in worldview.

Processes commonly involve reframing or reappraisal of the event, constructing or updating personal narratives, and integrating the experience with identity, values, and social or spiritual frameworks. Cultural and relational contexts, including family, community, and religion, influence the meaning-making trajectory and outcomes.

Outcomes vary: meaningmaking can bolster resilience and well-being or, in some cases, correlate with rumination or maladaptive grief if coherence remains elusive. Researchers employ self-report scales and narrative assessments to gauge the extent and quality of meaningmade.

See also: sensemaking, post-traumatic growth, Viktor Frankl, Park’s meaning-making framework, Weick.