Assessing meaning in life on an international scale: Psychometric evidence for the meaning in life questionnaire-short form among Chilean households

Abstract

Several research projects have endeavored to articulate parsimonious and comprehensive accounts of wellbeing. A set of core concepts is seen to be emerging, including the psychological wellbeing module of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative's international research on poverty. One of the core components of wellbeing according to this initiative and others is meaning in life. The present study focuses on a psychometric evaluation of a short measure of meaning in life to be used in international measurement of wellbeing, using data from a nationally-representative sample of households in Chile (N = 1,997). The factor structure of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire-Short Form (MLQ-SF) was confirmed, and shown to be invariant across gender and age. The items of the MLQ-SF formed a factor that was distinct from the items of other wellbeing measures that were assessed (psychological needs, life satisfaction, and domain satisfaction). Scores on the MLQ-SF were reliable in this sample, and correlated in the expected directions with other wellbeing indicators. We conclude that the MLQ-SF shows distinct promise as a measure of a core component of wellbeing-meaning in life-in international research.

Using Bifactor EFA, Bifactor CFA and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling to Validate Factor Structure of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Greek Version

“…Specifically, Cronbach's alpha values were comparable to the results reported by and by other studies (e.g., Steger & Samman, 2012;Chan, 2014;Jiang, Bai, & Xue, 2016;Steger et al, 2008c). Lastly, convergent and discriminant validity of the Greek MLQ was also examined.…”

“…However, these scales have been criticized for being confounded with several of the variables they correlate with (Frazier, Oishi, & Steger, 2003) as well as for having poor content validity (Dyck, 1987) and structural properties (Steger, 2007). In an effort to overcome these pitfalls and provide a psychometrically robust measure of the presence of and search for meaning in life, Brazil (Damasio & Koller, 2015), Chile (Steger & Samman, 2012), Hong Kong (Chan, 2014), Turkey and USA (Boyraz et al, 2013), China (Jiang, Bai, & Xue, 2016), Japan (Steger et al, 2008c), and South Africa (Temane et al, 2014). During the last few years, the MLQ has also been used in diverse and special populations within the United States, such as individuals experiencing grief (Boyraz & Efstathiou, 2011;Boyraz, Horne, & Sayger, 2010), patients suffering from serious mental illnesses (Schulenberg et al, 2011), smoking cessation patients (Steger et A. Stalikas et al Psychology al., 2009), and individuals from different ethnic backgrounds (Kiang & Fuligni, 2010).…”

Stigma, activism, and well-being among people living with HIV

“…Active coping with discrimination was measured with the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997), with 10 items adapted to refer to coping with enacted stigma using active coping, religion, emotional support, instrumental support, self-distraction, and venting (α=0.90). Meaning in life was measured with the three-item Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Short Form (Steger, Frazier, Oishi, & Kaler, 2006; Steger & Samman, 2012; α=0.91). Depressive symptoms were measured with the 15-item short form of the CES-D (Andresen, Malmgren, Carter, & Patrick, 1994; Radloff, 1977), excluding items referring to somatic symptoms (α=0.84).…”

The Role of Social Support, Life Meaningfulness, and Centrality of Religiosity in Posttraumatic Growth and Life Satisfaction of People with Spinal Cord Injury

“…The items are scored from 1 (not at all correct) to 4 (absolutely correct). The MLQ-SF of the National Surveillance Survey was conducted in the United States, which demonstrates the great reliability of the samples (21). In the current study, the validity of the scale was tested using confirmatory factor analysis.…”

“…Eudemonic or psychological view as the second tradition, expresses personal growth and meaningful life. This tradition expresses concepts such as independence, personal growth, the purpose of life, merit, and positive relationship as a significant resource for understanding health (21). From the subjective view, a sense of purpose in life can lead to psychological well-being; therefore, the person achieves health.…”