{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T15:33:43Z","timestamp":1788449623975,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,7]],"date-time":"2023-09-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1694044800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"STI 2030\u2014Major Projects","award":["2021ZD0200500"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021ZD0200500"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Meaning in life, purpose orientations, and attitudes toward life have a significant impact on youths\u2019 well-being. The purpose of this study is to investigate the developmental trends of youths\u2019 meaning in life, purpose orientations, and attitudes toward life. Methods: The sample consisted of 94,219 students aged 13 to 23 years (M = 16.67, SD = 2.70). Person-centered analysis, MANOVA, and an independent sample t-test were used to analyze the data. Results: Most youths were in the \u201csearch\u201d or \u201cpresence\u201d type in terms of meaning in life status. Fewer students were identified as being in the \u201cruminative exploration\u201d or \u201cdiffusion\u201d type. Very few were in the \u201cprecontemplation\u201d or \u201cforeclosure\u201d stages. The status of the sense of meaning did not change significantly with age. Second, in terms of purpose orientations, Chinese youths consider family well-being and personal growth to be the most important goals, whereas personal well-being and social promotion are less important. Third, in terms of attitudes toward life, most young people take an active, accepting, and optimistic view of their lives, seeing life as an experience or process, rather than a good or bad result. Fourthly, the age of 16 was found to be a significant turning point. More emerging adults were in the \u201cpresence\u201d state than adolescents, but their attitudes toward life were not as positive as those of adolescents. Conclusions: This study reveals that Chinese youth consider the question of meaning in life as early as age 13. Most of them were in the state of \u201csearching for meaning\u201d. Therefore, education about meaning in life should be integrated into the primary school context. Family well-being is emphasized by Chinese youth because of the collectivist culture. Family well-being and personal growth should be recognized, and social promotion should be enhanced in guidance of Chinese youth\u2019s meaning acquisition.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs13090748","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,7]],"date-time":"2023-09-07T10:09:50Z","timestamp":1694081390000},"page":"748","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["A Person-Centered Analysis of Meaning in Life, Purpose Orientations, and Attitudes toward Life among Chinese Youth"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Hong","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaosong","family":"Gai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China"},{"name":"Research Center of Mental Health Education in Northeast Normal University, Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Science in Universities in Jilin Province, Changchun 130024, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Songliang","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Erikson, E.H. 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