Making Meaning of Life Events: Theory, Evidence, and Research Directions for an Alternative Model

Abstract

Utilizing cognition, emotion, and psychotherapy research, theoretical and empirical evidence on adjustment to negative life events is reviewed. Two models of adjustment to negative life events are developed: the return-to-baseline model and the meaning-making model. The return-to-baseline model utilizes time and the return to a pre-event level of negativity, while the meaning-making model uses cognitive restructuring, increasing positive emotion, increasing regulation of negative emotion, and decreasing autonomic arousal. Meaning-making is a bridge from the negative emotion caused by negative life events to positive emotion through cognitive restructuring. Throughout the article new directions in adjustment research are suggested and the implicit uses of the return-to-baseline model in current research are uncovered.