The Relationship between Meaning in Life and School Adaptation among College Students: The Moderating Effect of Family Functioning

Abstract

The present study has investigated the impact of meaning in life college students on their school adaptation and explored the conditions under which this effect can be strengthened. The moderating role of family functioning on the association between meaning in life and school adaptation has been explored in a sample of 968 Chinese college students. In this study, PROCESS was used to test the study hypothesis. The study’s findings indicate that the meaning in life among college students significantly and positively impacts their school adaptation. Additionally, it is observed that family functioning significantly and positively moderates the influence of meaning in life on school adaptation. Specifically, the effect of meaning in life on school adaptation is stronger with higher levels of family functioning among college students. The present study contributes to deepen our comprehension of the relationship between the meaning in life and school adaptation among college students and holds both theoretical and practical implications for college educators seeking to improve students’ school adaptation.