ERIC Number: EJ734394
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Jan
Pages: 14
Abstractor: Author
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ISSN: ISSN-0022-0167
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The Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Assessing the Presence of and Search for Meaning in Life
Steger, Michael F.; Frazier, Patricia; Oishi, Shigehiro; Kaler, Matthew
Journal of Counseling Psychology, v53 n1 p80-93 Jan 2006
Counseling psychologists often work with clients to increase their well-being as well as to decrease their distress. One important aspect of well-being, highlighted particularly in humanistic theories of the counseling process, is perceived meaning in life. However, poor measurement has hampered research on meaning in life. In 3 studies, evidence is provided for the internal consistency, temporal stability, factor structure, and validity of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), a new 10-item measure of the presence of, and the search for, meaning in life. A multitrait-multimethod matrix demonstrates the convergent and discriminant validity of the MLQ subscales across time and informants, in comparison with 2 other meaning scales. The MLQ offers several improvements over current meaning in life measures, including no item overlap with distress measures, a stable factor structure, better discriminant validity, a briefer format, and the ability to measure the search for meaning.
Descriptors: Counseling Psychology, Well Being, Factor Structure, Validity, Psychological Evaluation, Multitrait Multimethod Techniques, Coping, Item Analysis, World Views
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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