Convergent Validity of the Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey in a College Sample

Abstract

The Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS) (Goldberg, Brintnell, & Goldberg, 2002) demonstrated sufficient psychometric properties in sample (N = 122) of adults. The EMAS was found to have adequate test-retest (r = .71) and internal consistency reliability (α = .88), significant positive correlations between the EMAS and the subscales of the Basic Psychological Needs Scale and the Sources of Meaning Profile and negative zero-order correlations were found with short form versions of the Boredom Proneness Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales.Step-wise multiple regression analyses results showed the Sources of Meaning Profile, Boredom Proneness Scale, and Competence subscale of the Basic Psychological Needs scale best predicted the EMAS. These results lend additional construct validity evidence in support of the EMAS as a brief measure of meaningful activity participation. asserted that occupational therapy has privileged goal-oriented purposeful occupations despite a lack of substantive evidence. Further, she argues that differing perspectives on activity purpose and meaning have hampered theory development in occupational therapy. As an example, Nelson (1988Nelson ( , 1996 has posited the critical importance of interpreting meaning from an occupational form as a basis for establishing the purpose of a given activity. However, Trombly (1995) has suggested that activity meaning is necessarily informed by its purpose and the perceived value of task accomplishment. According to Trombly, an activity with a clear therapeutic purpose may have no inherent meaning to an individual. Though Fisher (1998) had attempted to reconcile this discrepancy, empirical data explicating the differential functioning of activity meaning and purpose are limited (Ferguson & Trombly, 1997).More recent perspectives in occupational therapy and occupational science contextualize meaningful activity within the life-course, and tend to favor sociocultural and phenomenological approaches to understanding human experience. For instance, Crabtree (1998) speculated that intrinsic motivation drives occupational performance, thereby imbuing activity with meaning.Additionally, Jackson, Carlson, Mandel, Zemke, and Clark (1998) support the importance of accessing personal values and experiences as critical constituents of activity meaning (i.e., Csikszentmihalyi, 1990;Kaufman, 1986;Schultz & Heckhausen, 1996). Further, Christiansen 4 (1999) proposed that competence, personal identity, and the social nature of a person's life serve to situate activity meaning within the life course thereby contributing to a sense of life purpose and meaning. Finally, attributing meaning to activity is considered to be dynamic and changeable, necessitating narrative and sociocultural perspectives to explain the complexity of the underlying processes (Jonsson & Josephsson, 2005).By incorporating multiple theories from the fields of occupational therapy, nursing, social work, and psychology King (2004) has proffered a meta-model of meaning i...

Reliability and structural validity of an assessment of occupational value

“…Eng. OVal-pd 20 the existence of these relationships (43, 62-63) which is also in line with other research on meaning, health and well-being (5,(64)(65). Continued work in this area of study might address the similarities and differences that exist between measures of value and meaning in occupation.…”

“…A common aspect of the models involve interacting constituents including the person, the occupation and the environment such that an individual's experiences derived from engaging in occupation help to define the quality of a person's occupational performance. It is this aspect, the value and meaning derived from participation in occupation, which has been receiving increasing attention within the occupational therapy literature (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9). This focus is essential to the critique and advancement of models guiding clinical decision-making and to establish valid measures of therapeutic processes and outcomes central to practice (10)(11)(12).…”

Psychosocial Characteristics of Student Veterans with Service-Related Disabilities: Implications for Further Research and Occupational Therapy Involvement

“…Convergent validity of the EMAS was demonstrated through the scale's significant correlations with related measures including those of life satisfaction, health related quality of life, self-determination, and meaning and purpose in life (Eakman, 2011). Adding to its convergent validity Eakman (2011) also found the EMAS to be negatively correlated with measures of boredom, anxiety, perceived stress, depressive symptomatology, and overall negative affect. The EMAS has yet to be tested in a veteran sample and establishing its discriminant validity in this population is an additional aspect of our study.…”

“…The EMAS was found to be a valid and unidimensional measure of meaningful activity participation in samples of college students and older adults (Eakman, 2012). Convergent validity of the EMAS was demonstrated through the scale's significant correlations with related measures including those of life satisfaction, health related quality of life, self-determination, and meaning and purpose in life (Eakman, 2011). Adding to its convergent validity Eakman (2011) also found the EMAS to be negatively correlated with measures of boredom, anxiety, perceived stress, depressive symptomatology, and overall negative affect.…”

A Prospective Longitudinal Study Testing Relationships between Meaningful Activities, Basic Psychological Needs Fulfillment, and Meaning in Life

“…Studies employing the Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS) have established moderate positive associations between meaningful activity and measures of meaning and purpose in life in older adults with and without disabilities, undergraduate and graduate college students (Eakman, 2011(Eakman, , 2013aEakman et al, 2010a;Eakman, Carlson, & Clark, 2010b;Eakman & Eklund, 2012). Positive associations have also been found amongst meaningful activity and basic psychological needs fulfillment including indicators of autonomy, competence and relatedness (Eakman, 2011(Eakman, , 2013a. Cross-sectional studies using the Occupational Value Assessment with predefined items which assesses occupational value, a construct quite similar to meaningful activity, have also demonstrated positive relationships with measures of well-being including meaning in life (Eakman & Eklund, 2012;Eklund, Erlandsson, & Persson, 2003;Erlandsson, Eklund, & Persson, 2011).…”