The promotional role of meaning in life in future‐oriented coping: Positive affect as a mediator

The present study examined the role of meaning in life (MIL) in predicting positive affect and future-oriented coping, and whether positive affect mediated the relationship between MIL and future-oriented coping. The participants were 68 Chinese university students who were randomly assigned to two conditions: a MIL priming condition and a control condition. Positive affect was measured before and after the manipulation. MIL, positive affect and future-oriented coping were assessed at 1-week follow-up. The results showed that the level of positive affect increased after the manipulation in the MIL priming condition. Fifty-five of the participants completed the follow-up survey, and results showed that the MIL priming condition exhibited higher levels of future-oriented coping at follow-up compared to the control condition. Mediation analyses confirmed that MIL promoted proactive coping via positive affect. This study provides empirical support for the promotional role of MIL in future-oriented coping and clarifies the mechanism via the mediating effect of positive affect.