Análisis del impacto de la lectura en la vida significativa de los profesores

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Investigating the association of reading habits and attitudes with meaningful living: The mediating role of subjective well-being Uğur Özbilen a,* , Ahmet Zeki Güven b , Tuğrul Gökmen Şahin c , Emrullah Banaz d a İndividual Researcher, Antalya, Türkiye b Department of Turkish Education, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye c Department of Turkish Education, İnönü University, Malatya, Türkiye d Department of Educational Sciences, Bayburt University, Bayburt, Türkiye A R T I C L E I N F O Keywords: Reading habits Meaningful life Subjective well-being Teacher development Positive psychology A B S T R A C T This study explores the impact of reading habits on Turkish language teachers' perception of a meaningful life, with a particular focus on the mediating role of subjective well-being.

Drawing upon positive psychology and narrative identity theories, the research aims to highlight the cognitive and emotional mechanisms through which reading fosters existential meaning. Data were collected from 328 Turkish language teachers through validated self-report scales and analyzed using path analysis with structural equation modeling (SEM). Both direct and indirect effects were tested using bootstrapped mediation analysis. The results revealed that reading habits and attitudes significantly predicted perceptions of a meaningful life, both directly and indirectly via subjective well-being.

Although the direct path was modest in effect, subjective well-being emerged as a strong mediator. No significant demographic differences were found regarding perceptions of meaningful living. The findings suggest that reading is not merely an intellectual activity but a multidimensional experience that contributes to personal meaning-making and psychological well-being. The study underscores the need for teacher education programs to integrate reading as a tool for holistic development, extending beyond profes­ sional competence to emotional and existential enrichment. 1.

Introduction Reading, as a fundamental cultural practice, serves not only cogni­ tive and academic purposes but also plays a pivotal role in emotional regulation, self-reflection, and meaning-making (Nussbaum, 1997; Wolf, 2007). Within the framework of positive psychology, the act of reading has been shown to support psychological well-being, foster empathy, and facilitate a deeper understanding of life's purpose (Mar & Oatley, 2008; Seligman, 2011). Recent studies increasingly highlight the transformative potential of reading as an existential and psychological tool, especially in professions that demand sustained emotional labor, such as teaching (Bruner, 1990; Frankl, 1963).

Among educators, reading habits and attitudes have traditionally been associated with pedagogical development and content knowledge. However, there is growing recognition that reading also nurtures per­ sonal growth, supports emotional resilience, and enhances subjective well-being (Krashen, 2004). Teachers who engage in regular reading often report higher levels of life satisfaction and psychological strength, suggesting that the benefits of reading extend beyond academic per­ formance to the construction of a meaningful life (Clarke & McCarthy, 2013; Ryff & Singer, 1998).

This personal enrichment dimension reso­ nates with contemporary psychological frameworks that explain how narratives shape identity and meaning. This perspective is robustly supported by contemporary theoretical frameworks that reconceptualize reading as a transformative, meaning- making practice. Central to this view is the concept of narrative iden­ tity—the internalized life story that provides coherence and purpose and is a prospective predictor of well-being (Adler et al., 2016; Lind et al., 2024).

The mechanism behind this transformation is effectively explained by narrative transportation theory (Green, 2021), which posits that immersive engagement with texts facilitates attitude and affective change through reduced counterarguing, identification with characters, and the generation of vivid mental imagery. Such deep interpretive immersion is highly relevant to key distinctions in the psychology of meaning, particularly between the presence of meaning and the search for meaning (Steger et al., 2006). It is plausible that * Corresponding author. E-mail address: ozbilenugur@gmail.com (U. Özbilen).

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Acta Psychologica journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/actpsy https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.106111 Received 1 September 2025; Received in revised form 22 November 2025; Accepted 9 December 2025 Acta Psychologica 262 (2026) 106111 Available online 10 December 2025 0001-6918/© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- nc/4.0/). sustained narrative engagement helps to bridge this gap, effectively translating a search for meaning into a greater felt presence of meaning.

Empirical evidence from diverse methodologies converges to support this claim. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) with older adults demonstrated that absorption in audiobooks predicted subsequent gains in well-being—especially meaning in life—above and beyond mere book completion (Poerio & Totterdell, 2020). Complementing these findings, both qualitative and quantitative work underscores how fiction reading specifically fosters positive affect, social connection, and personal growth (Currie et al., 2025).

Converging evidence also indicates asso­ ciations between fiction reading and enhanced empathy (Takahashi et al., 2023), pointing to pathways through which reading may cultivate resources that underpin well-being and meaning. However, this rela­ tionship is not always straightforward; the type of material read (e.g., complex fiction vs. light reading) and the depth of engagement may yield different outcomes, and some studies find weak or context- dependent associations.

Despite these insights, few studies have investigated the psycholog­ ical mechanisms linking reading habits and attitudes to life mean­ ing—particularly within the population of language teachers, whose professional identity is intimately tied to textual engagement. This population is crucial, as they function as "gatekeepers" of reading cul­ ture and face high degrees of professional emotional labor. This context makes the examination of personal resources for resilience and meaning, beyond pedagogical skills, particularly salient.

Theoretical models (Seligman, 2011; Steger et al., 2006) propose that well-being and meaning are interrelated, yet empirical research integrating these models with reading behavior remains limited. While the correlation between reading and well-being is recognized (Djikic et al., 2012; Strauss & Bipath, 2020), the specific pathways through which reading habits and attitudes are associated with a sense of meaningful living constitute a research gap. This gap is salient for lan­ guage teachers, for whom reading is both a professional necessity and a personal resource.

While prior studies have examined related mediators such as optimism (Güven et al., 2025), the field lacks a direct test of the hypothesis that subjective well-being, as a comprehensive construct, serves as the critical channel. This study addresses this gap by examining whether subjective well-being mediates the relationship between reading habits and attitudes and perceptions of life meaning among Turkish language teachers. Our study aims to provide a more holistic understanding of the psychological mechanisms at play, extending prior work (e.g., Güven et al., 2025) by focusing on the broader construct of subjective well-being rather than the singular trait of optimism.

In doing so, the study seeks to explain not just correlations but the underlying emotional architecture that connects engagement with texts to the foundational human experience of meaning. From a positive psychology perspective, meaning in life is not merely a cognitive assessment but an affectively laden experience, contingent on sustained positive emotionality and psychological resources (King et al., 2016; Newman et al., 2018). Recent findings suggest that reading, particularly narrative fiction, can function as a simulator for social and existential experiences, thereby building the psychological capital necessary for perceiving life as meaningful (Tamir et al., 2016).

Yet the mechanism through which this capital fosters existential meaning re­ mains underexplored. A theoretically plausible but empirically under­ examined proposition is that subjective well-being—a holistic construct encompassing positive affect, life satisfaction, and emotional balan­ ce—mediates the relationship between reading and life meaning. This gap is especially salient for language teachers, for whom reading is both a professional necessity and a personal resource for resilience.

Although some studies have touched on related mediators such as optimism (Güven et al., 2025), the field lacks a direct test of the hypothesis that subjective well-being—beyond specific dispositions—serves as the crit­ ical channel through which reading habits culminate in meaningful living. Based on the current literature, the cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of reading will be explored comprehensively, and the functional role of reading in the individual's quest for meaning will be scrutinized in depth. The hypotheses of this study are as follows: H1. Reading habits and attitudes are positively associated with the experience of a meaningful life. H2.

Subjective well-being exerts a direct positive influence on the perception of life as meaningful. H3. Subjective well-being functions as a mediating variable in the relationship between reading habits and attitudes and the sense of meaningful living. 2. Methodology 2.1. Research design This study used a descriptive and correlational research design to investigate the relationships between reading habits and attitudes, subjective well-being, which are believed to influence the perception of a meaningful life. The primary reason for choosing path analysis within a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework was its effectiveness in analyzing complex relationships between observed variables.

Since this approach allows for testing both direct and indirect relationships simultaneously, it was considered appropriate for testing our mediation hypothesis. 2.2. Participants The participants of the study consist of a total of 328 Turkish lan­ guage teachers working in different cities of Turkey. Purposeful sam­ pling was used to select the teachers, and individuals with different demographic characteristics were included in order to gather informa­ tion about their reading habits, perceptions of meaningful life, and subjective well-being. Participation in the study is based on voluntary consent. This study was conducted on a voluntary basis.

The question­ naires were administered through Google Forms and distributed to participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the Akdeniz University Ethics Committee (Ref: 503-2024). All participants provided informed consent, and all data was collected anonymously. 2.3. Measures 2.3.1. Reading Attitude and Habits Scale The 19-item Reading Habits and Attitude Scale (RHAS) was devel­ oped by Özdil and Demir (2020), and its two-factor structure was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis (χ2 = 401.62, df = 266, RMSEA = 0.061, NFI = 0.94, NNFI = 0.96, GFI = 0.91, AGFI = 0.89, CFI = 0.96).

The authors also evaluated the scale's internal consistency, reporting a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89, with split-half reliability co­ efficients of 0.89 (Spearman-Brown) and 0.82 (Guttman). It is important to note that reverse scoring is required for items 4, 6, 9, 10, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 19 when using the RHAS (Özdil & Demir, 2020). In our analysis, we found the internal consistency reliability of the scale to be α = 0.85. 2.3.2. Meaningful Living Measure (MLM) The Meaningful Living Scale (MLS), developed by Arslan (2020), consists of six items designed to assess individuals' perceptions of a meaningful life.

The initial validation study revealed that the scale possesses a unidimensional factor structure, accounting for 46 % of the total variance, with factor loadings ranging between 0.58 and 0.82. Additionally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated an excellent model fit, supporting the structural validity of the scale. The MLS also demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, as evidenced by a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of α = 0.77. U. Özbilen et al. Acta Psychologica 262 (2026) 106111 2 2.3.3. Subjective well-being The scale developed by Arslan (2021) as a comprehensive develop­ ment scale consists of 54 items.

In our analysis, we found the internal consistency reliability of the scale to be α = 0.92. The subdimensions of this scale, namely positive emotions, negative emotions, and life satis­ faction, constitute the subjective well-being. There are a total of nine items in these subdimensions. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed strong psychometric fit statistics, supporting the latent structure of the inventories. The factor loadings for the CIT items were substantial, with high reliability for the indicators. In terms of concurrent validity, the findings indicated that both the domains and the brief version of the measure had significant correlations with psychological health symptoms. 2.4.

Statistical analysis This study examined the mediating effect of subjective well-being on the relationship between reading habits and a sense of purpose in life among Turkish language educators. Descriptive statistics, including frequency (n), percentage, mean (M) and standard deviation (SD), were used to summarise the data. Prior to conducting the primary analysis, an initial data screening was performed to identify outliers, missing values, and evaluate univariate and multivariate normality (based on skewness and kurtosis), as well as other statistical assumptions relevant to the employed procedures (Çokluk et al., 2021).

Consequently, the data from 11 participants were excluded due to their status as outliers, and the analyses were performed on the data from 328 participants. We used an independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni correction to explore if participants' meaningful living scores significantly differ by their demographic characteristics. The re­ lations between the research variables were first explored using Pear­ son's correlation analysis. Then, the variables were recruited for multiple linear regression and a path analysis to test our hypothesis.

We performed all analyses on SPSS 26.0 and SPSS AMOS 24.0 and accepted a p-value of <.05 as statistically significant. 3. Results We found that the majority of participants (65.5 %) were females, 40.5 % were aged 31–40 years, and 43.9 % had 1–10 years of profes­ sional seniority, and 75.6 % held an undergraduate degree. The de­ mographic characteristics of participants are summarized in Table 1. Our findings showed that participants' meaningful living scores did not significantly differ by their gender (t = 0.854, p = .394), educational attainment (t = 0.990, p = .323), age (F(3, 324) = 0.033, p = .992), and professional seniority (F(3, 324) = 2.658, p = .058).

The results are out­ lined in Table 2. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on all the items from the tools used in the study to check for any common technique bias. The analysis produced eight factors with eigenvalues exceeding 1. The primary eigenvalue of the first factor was 8.047, representing 23.66 % of the overall variance. This result, well below the crucial threshold of 40 %, suggests that common technique bias is unlikely to substantially compromise the validity of the findings (Podsakoff et al., 2003). Table 3 presents the descriptive statistics of the participants' scores, the findings of univariate normality assessments, and the results of the correlation analysis.

Since the data met the normality requirements (meaning the skewness and kurtosis values were within the allowed ±1 range), Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated. The research demonstrated small yet statistically significant positive associations between reading habits and subjective well-being (r = 0.188, p < .01), as well as between reading habits and meaningful life (r = 0.209, p < .01). A moderate and statistically significant positive connection exists be­ tween subjective well-being and meaningful life (r = 0.580, p < .01). Before regression analysis, we checked the relevant assumptions of the analysis.

The magnitudes of the associations between the variables (r < 0.90) and the VIF (1.037) and tolerance (0.965) values in the analysis suggest the absence of multicollinearity. Moreover, we ensured multivariate normality through the relevant graphs. The absence of homoscedasticity and the independence of residuals were checked through the scatterplot and the Durbin-Watson statistic (0.605), respectively (Field, 2009; Tabachnick & Fidell, 2013).

The analysis showed that the model built with the research variables was significant, and two predictor variables, reading habits and subjective well-being, explained about 35 % of the variance in meaningful living with a large effect size [F(2, 325) = 86.399, p < .001; R2 = 0.347; Cohen's f2 = 0.73]. The results are shown in Table 4. The mediation (path) analysis was conducted using AMOS (version 24.0). Since all observed variables were continuous and the data met the multivariate normality assumption, the Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation method was employed, which is widely recommended for normally distributed data (Kline, 2016).

To test the indirect effects, we used bootstrapping with 5000 resamples and bias-corrected 95 % con­ fidence intervals (CI) to ensure robust estimation (Preacher & Hayes, 2008). The analysis revealed a significant direct effect of reading habits on meaningful living (β = 0.104, 95 % CI: 0.029, 0.181) and explained about 4 % of the variance in meaningful living with a small effect size (Cohen's f2 = 0.21). Moreover, our analysis showed a significant indirect effect of subjective well-being on the relation between reading habits and meaningful living (β = 0.105, 95 % CI: 0.057, 0.166).

As we ob­ tained significant direct and indirect paths, the model produced a partial complementary mediation (Zhao et al., 2010). Overlapping with the approach proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986), the effect of reading habits on meaningful living decreased from β = 0.209 (95 % CI: 0.124, 0.296) to β = 0.104 (95 % CI: 0.029, 0.181) after including the mediator, Table 1 Participants' demographics.

Characteristic n % Gender Female 215 65.5 Male 113 34.5 Age (year) 20–30 74 22.6 31–40 133 40.5 41–50 78 23.8 51–65 43 13.1 Professional seniority (years) 1–10 144 43.9 11–20 103 31.4 21–30 61 18.6 31 and above 20 6.1 Education Undergraduate 248 75.6 Postgraduate 80 24.4 Table 2 Participants' meaningful living scores by their demographics.

Variable Characteristics n M SD Meaningful Living Gender Female 215 35.27 4.53 Male 113 34.81 4.83 t 0.854 p 0.394 Education Undergraduate 248 34.97 4.67 Postgraduate 80 35.56 4.53 t 0.990 p 0.323 Age (years) 20–30 74 35.18 4.72 31–40 133 35.02 4.82 41–50 78 35.20 4.07 51–65 43 35.11 4.98 F(3, 324) 0.033 p 0.992 Professional seniority (years) 1–10 144 35.40 4.67 11–20 103 34.10 4.57 21–30 61 36.01 4.22 31 and above 20 35.45 5.32 F(3, 324) 2.658 p 0.058 U. Özbilen et al. Acta Psychologica 262 (2026) 106111 3 while remaining significant, further confirming partial mediation (Table 5). Fig. 1 illustrates a graphical representation of the mediation model with the research variables.

The model yielded the following values for baseline goodness-of-fit- indices: χ2 /df = 2,03, p < .001, Root Mean Square Error of Approxi­ mation (RMSEA) = 0.056, Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.83, Relative Fit Index (RFI) = 0.81, Incremental Fit Index = 0.90, Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.90, and Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.90. Although the χ2 statistic was significant (p < .001), this result is not unexpected given the relatively large sample size, as χ2 is highly sensitive to sample size (Kline, 2016). Therefore, model fit was evaluated primarily based on alternative fit indices.

The indices computed indicate a poor-to- acceptable model-data fit considering the most widely adopted criteria in the literature (Hu & Bentler, 1999; Kline, 2016; Schumacker & Lomax, 2004; Sümer, 2000; Tabachnick & Fidell, 2013). Fig. 1 provides a graphical depiction of the proposed mediation model, incorporating the study variables. 4. Discussion This study investigated the relationships between Turkish language teachers' reading habits and attitudes, their subjective well-being, and their sense of a meaningful life.

The findings support the study's hy­ potheses, revealing that reading habits and attitudes are positively associated with meaningful living, and that this relationship is signifi­ cantly mediated by subjective well-being. The results align with scholarly inquiry demonstrating reading's cognitive and affective benefits (Mar & Oatley, 2008). The findings suggest that reading engagement, particularly the kind measured by the RHAS which includes reflective and habitual components, is associated with key elements of human flourishing.

This aligns cogently with Seligman's (2011) PERMA framework, where reading may concurrently support multiple components: Positive Emotion: The satisfaction derived from textual engagement. Engagement: The state of "flow" achieved during immersive reading (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). Relationships: Enhanced empathy and social cognition through narrative absorption (Takahashi et al., 2023). Meaning: The construction of coherent life narratives through interpretive processes (Adler et al., 2016). Accomplishment: The cumulative cognitive gains from sustained reading practice. Our study contributes to this discourse by empirically supporting the role of subjective well-being as a key mechanism.

The findings suggest that the association between reading and existential meaning is not solely a direct cognitive process; rather, it is strongly channeled through an individual's overall emotional and affective state. When reading provides new perspectives, comfort, or intellectual engagement, it ap­ pears to bolster psychological well-being, which in turn is associated with a greater capacity to discover purpose and build resilience. For Turkish language teachers, this connection is particularly rele­ vant. Teaching is an emotionally demanding profession, and educators who maintain strong reading habits and attitudes may be sourcing a valuable personal resource.

The finding suggests that reading engage­ ment may sustain them on a personal level, providing psychological capital that enhances their capacity for creativity, empathy, and passion in the classroom. This "ripple effect" may positively impact students beyond measurable academic outcomes. The results extend previous work (e.g., Güven et al., 2025) by demonstrating that the mediating mechanism is not limited to optimism, but includes the broader construct of subjective well-being. This Table 3 Descriptive statistics and findings of the correlation analysis. Variables n Min. Max. M SD Skewness Kurtosis 1 2 3 1. Reading Habits 328 48.00 94.00 78.07 9.33 0.598 0.069 1 0.188* 0.209* 2.

Subjective Well-Being 328 15.00 45.00 32.79 5.89 0.524 0.414 1 0.580* 3. Meaningful Living 328 23.00 42.00 35.11 4.63 0.692 0.037 1 * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). Table 4 Regression results. Predictors B SE* β 95 % CI p Lower Upper Subjective well-being 0.441 0.036 0.561 0.371 0.512 <.001 Reading habits 0.052 0.023 0.104 0.007 0.096 .023 * SE = Standard Error; Dependent Variable: Meaningful Living. Table 5 Mediating role of subjective well-being in the relation between reading habits and meaningful living. Type Effect Estimate SE 95 % C.I.

(a) β p Lower Upper Indirect Reading Habits Subjective Well-Being Meaningful Living 0.052 0.032 0.057 0.166 0.105 .010* Component Reading Habits Subjective Well-Being 0.119 0.055 0.099 0.289 0.188 .010* Subjective Well-Being Meaningful Living 0.441 0.051 0.472 0.639 0.561 .010* Direct (before mediation) Reading Habits Meaningful Living 0.104 0.027 0.124 0.296 0.209 .010* Direct Reading Habits Meaningful Living 0.052 0.044 0.029 0.181 0.104 .020* Note. Confidence intervals computed with the method: Bootstrap percentiles. Note. Betas indicate standardized effect sizes. * p < .05 Fig. 1.

Conceptual model illustrating the mediating role of subjective well- being in the relationship between reading habits and meaningful living. U. Özbilen et al. Acta Psychologica 262 (2026) 106111 4 suggests that reading's value extends beyond literacy metrics, serving as a practice associated with a more examined, fulfilling life. 5. Conclusion The findings of this study highlight the central role of reading habits and subjective well-being in shaping teachers' sense of a meaningful life, and these results are largely consistent with existing research in the field of educational psychology and reading studies.

Previous work has shown that reading contributes not only to cognitive development but also to emotional and existential well-being. For instance, Kaur et al. (2022) demonstrated that reading attitudes and subjective norms significantly predict reading behavior and, indirectly, psychological outcomes. Currie et al. (2025), based on interviews conducted with adults aged 63–83, found that reading fiction enhances positive emo­ tions, strengthens the sense of connection between fictional characters and real people, and contributes to lifelong personal growth. Moreover, their findings demonstrate that reading in later adulthood has signifi­ cant and multifaceted effects on well-being.

The current study echoes these findings by showing that reading habits act as a mediating mechanism through which teachers experience greater meaning in life. Research in positive psychology similarly supports the idea that habitual engagement with literature enhances individuals' reflective capacities and emotional regulation. Studies by Wong (2016) and Steger (2017) emphasize that meaning-making processes are often facilitated by activities that encourage introspection and the exploration of val­ ues—functions that literary reading naturally stimulates.

Additionally, Mar and Oatley's (2008) work on narrative transportation provides strong evidence that reading fiction fosters empathy, emotional insight, and deeper identity formation, all of which can contribute to enhanced subjective well-being. The alignment between these findings and the results of the present study suggests that reading may operate as a psychologically nourishing practice, particularly for professionals in emotionally demanding fields such as teaching.

Within the context of teacher education, the meaningfulness- enhancing effect of reading has been indirectly supported by studies showing that teachers who engage in reflective and interpretive reading practices also report higher levels of professional satisfaction and resil­ ience (Day & Gu, 2014). This parallels the observation in the present study that Turkish language teachers with stronger reading habits experience both higher well-being and a more robust sense of purpose.

Given that teaching often involves emotional labor, value-driven deci­ sion making, and continuous self-evaluation, the role of reading in sustaining personal meaning may be more pronounced in this group compared to other professions. Moreover, the mediation effect of subjective well-being observed in this study is aligned with the broader literature suggesting that well- being functions as a psychological catalyst for meaning-making. Selig­ man's (2011) PERMA model posits that emotional well-being facilitates engagement, achievement, and the perception of meaning. Similarly, Diener et al.

(1999) argue that well-being enhances individuals' capac­ ities for cognitive reframing and resilience, which are essential for finding coherence and purpose in life experiences. The current findings support these theoretical models by showing that reading contributes to meaning primarily through its positive impact on emotional and psy­ chological functioning. However, the divergence of this study from some behavioral mod­ els—such as Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior—is worth noting.

While perceived behavioral control is typically associated with increased engagement in a target behavior, previous research (e.g., Kaur et al., 2022) has also reported unexpected or negative associations in contexts where personal, emotional, or institutional constraints shape reading behavior differently. The negative effect of perceived behavioral control on reading habits observed here may reflect systemic pressures on teachers, such as workload intensity, that limit their autonomy to engage in leisure reading despite positive attitudes.

Taken together, these findings contribute to an emerging body of evidence that positions reading as a psychologically enriching activity with implications extending beyond literacy and academic performance. By situating the present results alongside prior literature, it becomes clear that reading functions not only as a cognitive practice but also as a pathway to emotional nourishment, resilience, and deeper existential understanding. For educators—particularly language teachers whose professional identities are closely tied to texts—the role of reading in fostering meaning and well-being appears both empirically supported and theoretically grounded. 6.

Implications, limitations, and future directions The study's findings have implications for educational policy and teacher training. Teacher education programs might consider inten­ tionally including literary and philosophical reading to support emotional resilience and personal meaning-making alongside pedagog­ ical skills. Reflective reading groups or bibliotherapy-inspired work­ shops could be integrated into professional development initiatives to support teacher well-being. However, the study has significant limitations. First, the cross- sectional design prevents any claims of causality.

It is plausible that the relationship is reciprocal or reversed: individuals with a stronger sense of meaning or higher well-being may be more inclined to engage in regular reading. Second, the study relied exclusively on self-report data, which may be subject to social desirability bias. Third, the focus on Turkish lan­ guage teachers limits the generalizability of the findings to other educator groups or cultural contexts, who may have different profes­ sional demands and relationships with reading. The Durbin-Watson statistic also suggests caution regarding the independence of residuals, indicating a potential area for methodological refinement in future studies.

Future research should address these limitations. Longitudinal or experimental studies (e.g., implementing a structured reading inter­ vention) are needed to clarify the causal relationships between these variables. Mixed-methods approaches, including narrative interviews, could provide deeper insight into how teachers derive meaning from their reading experiences. Finally, cross-cultural comparisons could reveal how cultural factors shape the links between reading, well-being, and life meaning. 7. Recommendations Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are proposed: 1.

Teacher Training Programs: Turkish language teacher education curricula should incorporate reading activities that include not only academic texts but also literary and philosophical works. Such readings support both the professional competencies and personal development of teacher candidates. 2. Promotion of Reading Culture: Educational institutions should organize book clubs, reading workshops, and philosophical discus­ sion events to support teachers' personal reading habits. Guiding individuals towards content that supports their search for meaning can enhance their levels of subjective well-being. 3.

Psychological Counseling and Guidance Services: Psychoeducational programs aimed at enhancing teachers' subjective well-being should be developed. These programs should be structured to improve in­ dividuals' stress management, development of positive emotions, and exploration of life's meaning. 4. Research on Reading and Meaningful Life: Future studies should examine the impact of reading habits on meaning-making across broader contexts by including teachers from different disciplines, students, or adult individuals as samples. Additionally, qualitative U. Özbilen et al.

Acta Psychologica 262 (2026) 106111 5 research could provide deeper insights into how individuals' reading experiences influence their internal maps of meaning. CRediT authorship contribution statement Uğur Özbilen: Writing – review & editing, Supervision. Ahmet Zeki Güven: Writing – original draft, Supervision. Tuğrul Gökmen Şahin: Resources, Conceptualization. Emrullah Banaz: Formal analysis, Data curation. Funding The authors declare that no financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article.

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial, personal, or institu­ tional interests that could be perceived to influence the conduct, anal­ ysis, or publication of this research. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not- for-profit sectors. Data availability Data will be made available on request. References Adler, J. M., Lodi-Smith, J., Philippe, F. L., & Houle, I. (2016). The incremental validity of narrative identity in predicting well-being: A review of research. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 20(2), 142–175. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 1088868315585068 Ajzen, I. (1991).

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