Revealing the Heterogeneity of Meaning in Life and Its Relationship with Creativity Among Youth: A Latent Profile Analysis Study

he sense of meaning in life is crucial for the exploration and affirmation of self-identity among young individuals. Creativity, as a positive attribute, may influence an individual’s awareness and experience of meaning in life. However, previous studies have often utilized variable-centered approaches, potentially masking significant individual differences in the sense of meaning in life. This study employs a person-centered latent profile analysis to identify latent categories of meaning in life development, examine their demographic distribution characteristics, and explore the relationship between creativity and different types of meaning in life. The study surveyed 1,023 participants. Results indicate that the latent profile analysis identified four distinct types of meaning in life: General Meaning group, Early Closure of Meaning group, Meaning Seeking group, and High Meaning group. Significant differences were found in the distribution of academic grades among these groups (p=0.009). Higher levels of creativity were associated with a greater likelihood of being classified into the High Meaning group (OR=5.123). These findings reveal substantial heterogeneity in the sense of meaning in life across groups and provide targeted insights for enhancing the sense of meaning in life among youth.