IPPA’s SMD Division Presents: Experiential significance and the experience of meaning in life
Speaker: Dr Joshua Hicks
Date & Times: February 19 | 4:00pm ET (1:00pm PT/9:00pm GMT)
Member Price: $0
Non Member Price: $25
Access: Open to all
Event Type: virtual
Many scholars argue that the experience of meaning in life is composed of three key dimensions: coherence, purpose, and significance. Significance is often understood as the sense that one’s life matters to others. However, the present talk will focus on a sometimes overlooked aspect of significance, finding life experiences themselves significant. This perspective highlights a more detected (or discovered) rather than constructed aspect of meaning in life.
About the speaker:
Joshua A. Hicks, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University, where he studies topics central to existential psychology. His research seeks to understand how people answer life’s “big” questions and how their responses shape their attitudes, emotions, and behavior. Dr. Hicks and his colleagues examine a wide range of existential concerns, focusing on the antecedents and consequences of meaning in life, authenticity, self-alienation, perceptions of free will, and awareness of mortality.
The SMD Scientific Speaker Series is hosted by the Spirituality & Meaning Division.
Register today! Registration ends February 17, 2026!