Global Meaningfulness. This variable reflects the aggregate extent to which individuals psychologically
invest in the tasks in which they are involved; it can be described as their general level of caring or commitment. The notion that people differ in overall cathexis (global meaningfulness) is well established in the psychological
literature (e.g., Solomon & Patch, 1971; May, 1969). Low levels of global meaningfulness correspond to alienation (e.g., Brickman, 1978), and they imply a decreased anticipation that new tasks will be meaningful.