Affect as a mediator in the relationship between curiosity and existential vacuum: the concept of protective resources

Introduction and objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between curiosity and the sense of meaning in life, with positive and negative affect considered as mediators. Based on existing literature on curiosity and affect, the examined relationships were interpreted within the framework of protective resources. Furthermore, it was assumed that existential vacuum represents an extremely low level of the sense of meaning in life. Materials and methods: To test the hypotheses, the study employed Polish adaptations of the following inventories: the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II, the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule X. The sample consisted of 481 adult individuals. The survey was conducted via an online interview, with participants recruited through a survey panel. Results: The results confirmed the proposed hypotheses, showing that both positive and negative affect mediate the relationship between curiosity and the sense of meaning in life. Positive affect was found to be positively associated with both variables in the model, while negative affect was inversely related to them. Conclusions: The findings suggest therapeutic implications for addressing existential vacuum by highlighting curiosity as a protective resource that influences this fundamental aspect of human functioning. The study may also reinforce theoretical models that attempt to embed curiosity within the network of relationships between key variables in positive psychology.