Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Structural Validity and Internal Consistency of a Spanish Version of the Purpose in Life Test

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Logotherapy and Existential Analysis

Abstract

The objective of this work is to examine the factorial structure and the internal consistency of a Spanish version of the Purpose in Life Test, to propose an accurate psychometric scale. Results of a previous study, in which exploratory factor analysis resulted in a scale with ten items and two correlated factors, are developed. In the current study a confirmatory factor analysis is carried out and internal consistency was estimated among 916 Spanish undergraduates (264 males, 652 females, aged 18–42, M = 22.33, SD = 4.26). The results supported the proposed model, which showed a good fit and a high internal consistency.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bentler, P. M. (2006). EQS 6 structural equations program manual. Encino, CA: Multivariate Software, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin, 88(3), 588–606. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.88.3.588.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136–162). Newsbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brunelli, C., Bianchi, E., Murru, L., Monformoso, P., Bosisio, M., Gangeri, L., Miccinesi, G., Scrignaro, M., Ripamonti, C., & Borreani, C. (2012). Italian validation of the Purpose In Life (PIL) test and the Seeking Of Noetic Goals (SONG) test in a population of cancer patients. Supportive Care in Cancer, 2011, 2775–2783.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crumbaugh, J. C., & Maholick, L. T. (1964). An experimental study in existentialism: The psychometric approach to Frankl’s concept of noogenic neurosis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 20(2), 200–207. doi:10.1002/1097-4679(196404)20:2<200::AID-JCLP2270200203>3.0.CO;2-U

    Google Scholar 

  • Crumbaugh, J. C., & Maholick, L. T. (1969). Manual of instructions for the Purpose in Life Test. Saratoga, CA: Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dufton, B. C., & Perlman, D. (1986). The association between religiosity and the Purpose in Life Test: Does it reflect purpose or satisfaction? Journal of Psychology and Theology, 14, 42–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frankl, V. E. (2010). The feeling of meaninglessness. A challenge to psychotherapy and philosophy. Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Alandete, J. (2014). Análisis factorial confirmatorio y confiabilidad de una versión española del Purpose in Life Test y diferencias en función del género y la edad [Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability of a Spanish version of the Purpose in Life Test, and gender and age differences]. Pensamiento Psicológico, 12(1), 83–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Alandete, J., Rosa, E., & Sellés, P. (2013). Estructura factorial y consistencia interna de una versión española del Purpose in Life Test [Factorial Structure and Internal Consistency of a Spanish Version of the Purpose in Life Test]. Universitas Psychologica, 12(2), 517–530. doi:10.11144/Javeriana. UPSY12-2.efci.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1995). Multivariate data analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haugan, G., & Moknes, U. K. (2013). Meaning-in-Life in nursing home patients: A validation study of the Purpose in Life Test. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 21(2), 296–319. doi:10.1891/1061-3749.21.2.296.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 1–55. doi:10.1080/10705519909540118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonsén, E., Fagerström, L., Lundman, B., Nygren, B., Vähäkangas, M., & Strandberg, G. (2010). Psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Purpose in Life Scale. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 24(1), 41–48. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6712.2008.00682.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Magaña, L., Zavala, M. A., Ibarra, I., Gómez, M. T., & Gómez, M. M. (2004). El sentido de la vida en estudiantes de primer semestre de la Universidad de La Salle Bajío [The meaning in life among students of first semester of the Universidad de La Salle Bajío]. Revista del Centro de Investigación, 6(22), 5–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W., Balla, J. R., & Hau, K. T. (1996). An evaluation of incremental fit indexes: A clarification of mathematical and empirical properties. In G. A. Marcoulides & R. E. Schumacker (Eds.), Advanced structural equation modeling techniques (pp. 315–353). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, A., Smith, L., Piek, J., & Saunders, B. (2003). The Purpose In Life Scale: Psychometric properties for social drinkers and drinkers in alcohol treatment. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 63(5), 859–871. doi:10.1177/0013164402251040.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, R. P. (1989). An index of goodness-of-fit based on non-centrality. Journal of Classification, 6(1), 97–103. doi:10.1007/BF01908590.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, R. P., & Marsh, H. W. (1990). Choosing a multivariate model: Non-centrality and goodness of fit. Psychological Bulletin, 107(2), 247–255. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.107.2.247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, I., & Little, B. R. (1998). Personal projects, happiness, and meaning: On doing well and being yourself. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(2), 494–512. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.74.2.494.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Melton, A. M. A., & Schulenberg, S. E. (2008). On the measurement of meaning: Logotherapy’s empirical contributions to Humanistic psychology. The Humanistic Psychologist, 36(1), 31–44. doi:10.1080/08873260701828870.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molcar, C. C., & Stuempfig, D. W. (1988). Effects of world view on purpose in life. The Journal of Psychology, 122, 365–371. doi:10.1080/00223980.1988.9915523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, J. E., & Farsides, T. L. (2009). Measuring meaning in life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10(2), 197–214. doi:10.1007/s10902-007-9075-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noblejas, M. A. (1994). Logoterapia. Fundamentos, principios y aplicación. Una experiencia de evaluación del “Logro interior de sentido” [Logotherapy. Foundations, principles, and application. An experience of assessment of the ‘internal achievement of meaning’] (Doctoral Dissertation, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain). Retrieved from http://eprints.ucm.es/tesis/19911996/S/5/S5005701.pdf

  • Risco, A. (2009). Sentido de la vida: Evolución e implicaciones para la Educación Superior [Meaning in life: Development and implications for Higher Education] (Doctoral Dissertation, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain). Retrieved from: https://www.educacion.gob.es/teseo/imprimirFicheroTesis.do?fichero=12007

  • Rosa, E., García-Alandete, J., Sellés, P., Bernabé, G., & Soucase, B. (2012). Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio de los principales modelos propuestos para el Purpose in Life Test en una muestra de universitarios españoles [Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the main models proposed for the Purpose in Life Test among Spanish undergraduates]. Acta Colombiana de Psicología, 15(1), 67–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulenberg, S. E., & Melton, A. M. A. (2010). A confirmatory factor-analytic evaluation of the Purpose in Life Test: Preliminary psychometric support for a replicable two-factor model. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(1), 95–111. doi:10.1007/s10902-008-9124-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schulenberg, S. E., Schnetzer, L. W., & Buchanan, E. M. (2010). The Purpose in Life Test-Short Form: Development and psychometric support. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12(5), 861–876. doi:10.1007/s10902-010-9231-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L. (1988). Reliability and factorial structure of the Chinese version of the Purpose in Life Questionnaire. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44, 384–392. doi:10.1002/1097-4679(198805)44:3<384::AID-JCLP2270440312>3.0.CO;2-1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steger, M. F. (2006). An illustration of issues in factor extraction and identification of dimensionality in psychological assessment data. Journal of Personality Assessment, 86, 263–272.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steiger, J. H. (1990). Structural model evaluation and modification: An interval estimation approach. Multivariate Behavioural Research, 25(2), 173–180. doi:10.1207/s15327906mbr2502_4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka, J. S. (1993). Multifaceted conceptions of fit in structural equation models. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ullman, J. B. (1996). Structural equation modeling. In B. G. Tabachnick & L. S. Fidell (Eds.), Using multivariate statistics (pp. 709–819). New York, NY: Harper Collins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ullman, J., & Bentler, P. (2004). Structural equation modeling. In M. Hardy & A. Bryman (Eds.), Handbook of data analysis (pp. 431–459). London: Sage. doi:10.4135/9781848608184.n19.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Waisberg, J. L., & Starr, M. W. (1999). Psychometric properties of the Purpose in Life Test with a sample of substance abusers. International Forum for Logotherapy, 22, 22–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walters, L. H., & Klein, A. E. (1980). A cross-validated investigation of the Crumbaugh Purpose in Life Test. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 40, 1065–1071. doi:10.1177/001316448004000434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. de Neuropsicobiología, Metodología y Psicología Social, Universidad Católica de Valencia “San Vicente Mártir”, Guillem de Castro, 175, 46008, Valencia, Spain

    Joaquín García-Alandete, Eva Rosa Martínez, Pilar Sellés Nohales, Gloria Bernabé Valero & Beatriz Soucase Lozano

Authors
  1. Joaquín García-Alandete
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eva Rosa Martínez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pilar Sellés Nohales
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gloria Bernabé Valero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Beatriz Soucase Lozano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joaquín García-Alandete .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bendern, Principality of Liechtenstein a, Viktor Frankl Chair of Philosophy and Ps, Wien, Wien, Austria

    Alexander Batthyány

Appendix: Purpose in Life Test, Part A (Crumbaugh and Maholick 1969; Spanish translation, Noblejas 1994)

Appendix: Purpose in Life Test, Part A (Crumbaugh and Maholick 1969; Spanish translation, Noblejas 1994)

  1. 1.

    Generalmente me encuentro: Completamente aburrido/Exuberante, entusiasmado.

  2. 2.

    La vida me parece: Completamente rutinaria / Siempre emocionante.

  3. 3.

    En la vida tengo: Ninguna meta o anhelo / Muchas metas y anhelos definidos.

  4. 4.

    Mi existencia personal es: Sin sentido ni propósito / Llena de sentidos y propósitos.

  5. 5.

    Cada día es: Exactamente igual/Siempre nuevo y diferente.

  6. 6.

    Si pudiera elegir: Nunca habría nacido / Tendría otras nueve vidas iguales a ésta.

  7. 7.

    Después de retirarme: Holgazanearía el resto de mi vida / Haría las cosas emocionantes que siempre deseé realizar.

  8. 8.

    En el logro de mis metas vitales: No he conseguido ningún progreso/He llegado a mi realización completa.

  9. 9.

    Mi vida es: Vacía y llena de desesperación/Un conjunto de cosas buenas y emocionantes.

  10. 10.

    Si muriera hoy, me parecería que mi vida ha sido: Una completa basura/Muy valiosa.

  11. 11.

    Al pensar en mi propia vida: Me pregunto a menudo la razón por la que existo / Siempre encuentro razones para vivir.

  12. 12.

    Tal y como yo lo veo en relación con mi vida, el mundo: Me confunde por completo / Se adapta significativamente a mi vida.

  13. 13.

    Me considero: Una persona irresponsable / Una persona muy responsable.

  14. 14.

    Con respecto a la libertad de que dispone para hacer sus propias elecciones, creo que el hombre es: Completamente esclavo de las limitaciones de la herencia y del ambiente / Absolutamente libre de hacer todas sus elecciones vitales.

  15. 15.

    Con respecto a la muerte, estoy: Falto de preparación y atemorizado / Preparado y sin temor.

  16. 16.

    Con respecto al suicidio: Lo he considerado seriamente como una salida a mi situación / Nunca le he dedicado un segundo pensamiento.

  17. 17.

    Considero que mi capacidad para encontrar un significado, un propósito o una misión en la vida es: Prácticamente nula / Muy grande.

  18. 18.

    Mi vida está: Fuera de mis manos y controlada por factores externos / En mis manos y bajo mi control.

  19. 19.

    Enfrentarme a mis tareas cotidianas supone: Una experiencia dolorosa y aburrida / Una fuente de placer y satisfacción.

  20. 20.

    He descubierto: Ninguna misión o propósito en mi vida / Metas claras y un propósito satisfactorio para mi vida.

Items and points 1 and 7 anchors (anchor point 4 is Neutral and the rest of points lack anchor).

In bold, the items that compose the PIL-10.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

García-Alandete, J., Martínez, E.R., Nohales, P.S., Valero, G.B., Lozano, B.S. (2016). The Structural Validity and Internal Consistency of a Spanish Version of the Purpose in Life Test . In: Batthyány, A. (eds) Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. Logotherapy and Existential Analysis: Proceedings of the Viktor Frankl Institute Vienna, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29424-7_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation