Abstract
Mattering, defined as synergistic experiences of feeling valued and adding value, is a psychosocial construct with underappreciated pragmatic potential. It has explanatory relevance across disciplines, domains of life, and social contexts. It is also both parsimonious and far-reaching in uniting areas of concern relevant to community psychologists and the needs, values, and goals of diverse communities. Nevertheless, it has received limited attention in the community psychology (CP) literature.
This dissertation will develop and provide empirical support for an ecological understanding of mattering suited to community research and practice. Empirical support is furnished in three studies using large, representative U.S. samples. The first evaluates a novel multidimensional measure of mattering (MIDLS), providing evidence of MIDLS' validity as a bifactor measure of general and domain-specific mattering. The second study provides evidence of differences between demographic groups in domain-specific mattering. Finally, covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) is used to assess the relationships between multidimensional mattering, fairness, and well-being in six life domains. Findings suggest that mattering fully mediates the relationship between fairness and well-being for all domains investigated except economic well-being.
Taken together, these studies show that mattering can be conceived and assessed in multidimensional terms; that doing so can yield novel insights; and that mattering has unique value as an organizing construct which helps map the relationship between key community psychology values and outcomes. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of key limitations and implications as well as next steps for a program of research which can actualize the pragmatic potential of multidimensional mattering for community research and practice.