scholarly journals Purpose in Life: A Reconceptualization for Very Late Life

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 255-255
Author(s):  
Keith Anderson ◽  
Noelle Fields ◽  
Jessica Cassidy ◽  
Lisa Peters-Beumer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Life Test ◽  
Socioemotional Selectivity ◽  
Theory Of Gerotranscendence ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Purpose In Life Test

Abstract Across disciplines, we have long sought to understand the factors that contribute to purpose in life. Theorists have posited that having life goals, feeling productive, and remaining active are essential contributing elements to purpose in life (Crumbaugh & Maholick, 1969; Rowe & Kahn, 1997; Ryff, 1989). While these factors can undoubtedly contribute to purpose in life, they may not fully explain purpose in life for older adults in very late life (85 years old and older) who have long past and short future time horizons. In this presentation, we explore the concept of purpose in life for older adults in very late life and how current measures may not fully or accurately apply to this group. We examine the two most commonly used measures of purpose in life, the Purpose in Life Test (Crumbaugh & Maholick, 1964, 1969) and the Ryff Purpose Subscale (Ryff, 1989; Ryff & Keyes, 1995), and identify specific items that should be reconsidered for use with older adults in very late life. We then reconceptualize purpose in life for the oldest old based on several foundational theories, including Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, the Theory of Gerotranscendence, and Terror Management Theory. Stemming from this analysis, we posit that purpose in life in very life consists of three domains – the very long past, the very near future, and the transcendental post-mortem. Based upon this reconceptualization, we recommend the development of new measures of purpose of life in very late life that capture these three domains.

scholarly journals Diferencias asociadas al sexo en las puntuaciones total y factoriales del Purpose-In-Life Test en universitarios españoles

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 681-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOAQUÍN GARCÍA-ALANDETE ◽  
EVA ROSA MARTÍNEZ ◽  
BEATRIZ SOUCASE LOZANO ◽  
JOSÉ FRANCISCO GALLEGO-PÉREZ
Keyword(s):  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Life Test ◽  
Las Mujeres ◽  
Purpose In Life Test ◽  
Estudiantes Universitarios

Se analizan las diferencias en las puntuaciones total y factoriales de la versión española del Purpose-In-Life Test [PIL] (Crumbaugh & Maholic, 1969; Noblejas de la Flor, 1994) asocia-das al sexo, en un grupo de 309 estudiantes universitarios (207 mujeres y 102 hombres) de edades comprendidas entre 18 y 45 años (M = 21.4; DT = 3.254). El PIL evalúa logro de sen-tido de la vida vs. vacío existencial (Frankl, 1994). Las mujeres obtienen puntuaciones medias superiores a los hombres, tanto en la puntuación total del PIL como en sus diferentes factores. El análisis estadístico (t de Student) muestra que el sexo da lugar a diferencias estadísticamen-te significativas en la puntuación total (t = 2.272; p = .024) y de los factores «Percepción de sentido» (t = 2.065; p = .040) y «Metas y tareas» (t = 3.385; p = .001) del PIL.

scholarly journals Relationship between Volitional Regulation and Academic Achievements in University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-75
Author(s):  
V.N. Shlyapnikov
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
University Students ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Action Control ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Life Test ◽  
Control Scale ◽  
Academic Achievements ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Purpose In Life Test

The paper presents results of a study on the relationship between the features of volitional regulation and academic performance in university students of different years and areas of training.The study compared students (year 1 to 4) of ‘Psychology’ (n=133) and ‘State and Municipal Administration’ (n=201) programmes.The following methods were used: the Action Control Scale by J.Kuhl; the questionnaire for revealing the expression of self-control in the emotional sphere, activity and behavior (developed by G.S.Nikiforov, V.K.Vasilyev and S.V.Virsov); the Dembo-Rubinstein self-esteem scale (modified by V.A.Ivannikov and E.V. Eidman, 1990); the Purpose in Life Test (by D.A.Leontiev).The arithmetic mean of all examination marks received by the student during the current academic year was used as an indicator of academic performance.It is shown that in junior students of the management programme the indicator of academic performance positively correlates with the indicators of the Action Control Scale (p <0.01), the Purpose in Life Test (p <0.01) and behavioral self-control (p <0.01), whereas in students of the psychology programme it positively correlates with indicators of the Purpose in Life Test (p <0.01) and social self-control (p <0.01).No significant correlations were found in senior students.The results obtained in the study allow us to draw some conclusions about the contribution of volitional regulation to the level of academic achievements in students.

Meaning and Purpose in Life of Bereaved Parents whose Son Fell during Active Military Service

1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Florian
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Scale Analysis ◽  
Life Test ◽  
Bereaved Parents ◽  
Life Scale ◽  
Meaning And Purpose ◽  
Purpose In Life Test

The aim of the present study was to investigate the meaning and purpose of life in fifty-two bereaved parents whose sons fell during active military service two or eleven years after their loss, compared to fifty non-bereaved parents, who served as a control group. Participants individually completed the Purpose-in-Life Test and the Meaning-in-Life Scale. Analysis of the results indicated that both bereaved parents received lower scores on both measures compared to the control group. No significant differences were found between parents whose son fell two or eleven years previous to the study. Clinical implications for treating this “at risk” population are discussed.

Meaning-in-Life in Nursing Home Patients: A Validation Study of the Purpose-in-Life Test

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gørill Haugan ◽  
Unni Karin Moksnes
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Test ◽  
Measurement Models ◽  
Nursing Home Patients ◽  
Purpose In Life Test

Background: The experience of meaning has been found to be a strong individual predictor of life satisfaction and an important psychological variable that promotes well-being. Therefore, a valid and reliable measurement of meaning-in-life among nursing home patients is highly warranted. Aims: This study intended to further investigate (a) the factor structure of the Purpose-in-Life test (PIL), (b) the reliability of PIL scores, and (c) the construct validity of the PIL test in a nursing home population. Methods: Participants were 202 cognitively intact nursing home patients representing 44 different Norwegian nursing homes. Concerning the dimensionality of the PIL, the following 3 measurement models were tested using confirmatory factor analysis; the original 1-factor, a 2-factor, and a 3-factor model. Results: With the exclusion of 10 items, a previously published and supported 2-factor construct for the PIL by Morgan and Farsides (2007) provided a good fit for older nursing home patients, demonstrating good measurement reliability and construct validity. Conclusion: The 2-factor model by Morgan and Farsides, comprising 10 items, is an improvement over the original 20-items PIL, based on these nursing home data. The measure yielded highly significantly factor loadings, good values for average variance extracted and composite reliability, as well as significant correlations in the expected direction for relevant selected measures; all supporting the construct validity.

Purpose in Life, Boredom, and Volunteerism in a Group of Retirees

1995 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 482-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Weinstein ◽  
Xiaolin Xie ◽  
Charalambos C. Cleanthous
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Life Test ◽  
Boredom Proneness ◽  
Purpose In Life Test

In a pilot study of 40 retirees, those who volunteered more than 10 hours per week scored significantly higher on the Purpose In Life test than those who volunteered 10 or fewer hours per week A significant negative correlation of –.75 was obtained between scores on purpose in life and boredom proneness.

The Utility of the Purpose-in-Life Test in Persons With AIDS

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Pat Lewis ◽  
Judith A. Erlen ◽  
Annette DeVito Dabbs ◽  
Kim Breneman ◽  
Christa Cook
Keyword(s):  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Life Test ◽  
Purpose In Life Test
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