Validation and utility of the Meaning in Life Measure for Turkish university students

Abstract

The Meaning in Life Measure (MILM) is a new measure for assessing meaning in life by addressing problems associated with existing measures of meaning in life (absence of items related to reflectivity, felt sense, and mattering). For the first time, this study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the MILM for university students in Turkey. We used a sample of 376 university students (Mage=24.03±4.65 years) who participated in an online survey including the MILM, the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – 21. To study the factor structure of the MILM, we firstly employed a dual approach including exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, which provided support for the goodness of a two-factor model (experience and reflectivity). We secondly tested the convergent and predictive validity of the measure by respectively applying correlation and regression analyses. Our findings supported the convergent validity of the MILM, showing correlations with hope, anxiety, and depression. The predictive validity was also confirmed; the experience subscale of MILM uniquely predicted hope, anxiety, and depression after controlling for covariates (age and gender). Thirdly, our findings showed that the MILM and its subscales had high internal consistency reliability. The Turkish version of the MILM is provided to be a reliable and valid instrument for assessing meaning in life for university students in Turkey.

Personal growth initiative moderates the mediating effect of COVID-19 preventive behaviors between fear of COVID-19 and satisfaction with life

“…We recommend the following topics for advancing personal growth among university students: developing proactivity and career adaptability, becoming a better version of oneself, discovering the winning track, developing a positive mindset for greater inner strength, fostering greater self-knowledge, enhancing happiness based on positive thought, furthering the X-Factor, finding meaning in life, cultivating hope and optimism, nurturing PERMA-oriented well-being, and mastering the art-of-living (cf. Green, 2020b , 2021a , 2021b , 2021c , 2021d ; Green et al, 2015a , 2015b , 2015c , 2015d , 2020b , 2021a , 2022 ; Lang & Schmitz, 2016 ; Yıldırım et al, 2021 ).…”

“…PMT is applicable here because for the threat of the pandemic, there is an effective recommended response in the form of well-recognized COVID-19 preventive strategies that can be practiced by individuals ( Floyd et al 2000 ). The fear of COVID-19 may therefore be a motivator for practicing COVID-19 preventive behaviors ( Yıldırım, Geçer, & Akgül, 2021 ). Second, this research underscores the importance of COVID-19 preventive behaviors in nurturing greater satisfaction with life.…”

“…They may also encourage students to maintain physical distancing of at least six feet, perform hand hygiene, practice good respiratory etiquette, and stay home when sick and get tested ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022 ). Relevant to note here is that the fear of COVID-19 may itself act as a motivator to comply with COVID-19 preventive behaviors ( Yıldırım, Geçer, & Akgül, 2021 ), which are instrumental for engaging in daily life activities in a safer, smarter, and productive manner. Thus, in spite of the threat of the coronavirus, it is possible for university students to experience satisfaction with life based on following COVID-19 protective guidelines.…”

Exploring College Students’ Biopsychosocial Spiritual Wellbeing and Problems during COVID-19 through a Contextual and Comprehensive Framework

“…Use of such innovative studies' results can be compared to quantitative results to get a more valid picture of what is happening with the college students. Additionally, more studies focusing on meaning among college students are needed (Tanhan, 2019(Tanhan, , 2020Yıldırım et al, 2021).…”

Psikolojik Danışma'nın Psikolojik Esnekliğe Etkisi: Yarı-Deneysel bir Çalışma

“…Researchers across globe experience biopsychosocial, spiritual, and economic issues (Otanga et al, 2021;Tanhan & Francisco, 2019;Tanhan & Strack, 2020). Similarly, many researchers found that College students in Turkey also experience many biopsychosocial, spiritual, and economic issues (Bayın et al, 2021;Demir et al, 2021;Doyumğaç et al, 2021;Tanhan, 2020;Yıldırım et al, 2021). All these researchers called for effective research.…”