Construction, validation, and clinical utility of a measure of perceived life meaning

Abstract

In the current study, perceived life meaning (PLM) was defined as belief that life or another ineffable power in which life inheres has a purpose, will, or way in which individuals may participate. A sample of 550 undergraduates was used to refine and validate a self-report inventory (the PLMI) that measures PLM. The PLMI consists of two sub-scales, PLMI-immanent and PLMI-transcendent, the scores of which can be summed to form an overall perceived life meaning score (PLMI-total). Results indicate that the PLMI has excellent face validity, homogeneity and internal consistency, and convergence with related measures. Neither social desirability nor deficient objectivity/rationality contaminates it, and it exhibits minimal test bias, or interaction with demographic variables. The PLMI was found in the current study to be inversely correlated with measures of depression and antisocial characteristics, and positively correlated with hopefulness. Moreover, it predicted variance in these measures beyond that predicted by measures of the five personality factors of neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, and extroversion. The apparent relevance of perceived life meaning to psychological wellbeing is consistent with the Jungian notion that the pursuit of ultimate wellbeing, or individuation, involves shifting the self's center from the ego to a more universal and spiritual force. Prospective studies of the PLMI are encouraged, specifically studies of the interactions among various psychotherapeutic interventions, perceived life meaning, and mental health variables.