Meaning and Purpose in Life: Assessment Techniques of Logotherapy

Hutzell, Robert R.

doi:10.1080/0742-969x.1986.11882574

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The PIL has been psychometrically reviewed in a number of sources (e.g., Crumbaugh & Henrion, 1988; Hutzell, 1987a, 1988; Melton & Schulenberg, 2008; Reker, 2000; Schulenberg, 2004a). With regard to validity, the PIL, as is expected, correlates positively with constructs such as happiness, emotional stability, and extroversion, and negatively with constructs such as boredom proneness, anxiety, and depression (Hutzell, 1988, 1989; Melton & Schulenberg, 2007, 2008; Robak & Griffin, 2000; Schulenberg, 2004a). Such correlations are consistent with logotherapy conceptualizations and research studies that demonstrate the relationship between meaning and well-being (Melton & Schulenberg, 2008; Schulenberg, 2004a).…”

Section: Psychometric Assessment Of the Meaning Constructmentioning

confidence: 78%

Logotherapy for clinical practice.

Schulenberg¹,

Hutzell²,

Nassif³

et al. 2008

Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training

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113

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Logotherapy is based on the meaning-focused existential philosophy of Viktor E. Frankl (1905-1997). Numerous mental health professionals have been inspired by his most popular book, Man's Search for Meaning; however, many are unfamiliar with the depth of Frankl's work. The purpose of this article is to discuss the tenets of logotherapy, including fundamental concepts, applicability and techniques, roles of the therapist, and assessment tools and new research findings. Logotherapy can readily be integrated with techniques that mental health professionals frequently use, and thus it has much to offer mental health professionals regardless of their theoretical orientation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

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Section: Psychometric Assessment Of the Meaning Constructmentioning

confidence: 78%

Logotherapy for clinical practice.

Schulenberg¹,

Hutzell²,

Nassif³

et al. 2008

Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training

Self Cite

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…selections were made: one item from the 20 item Life Purpose Questionnaire [54], eight from the eight item Constructed Meaning Scale [18], three from the 28 item Life Regard Index [8], three from the 20 item Meaning in Suffering Test [16], 12 from the 12 item The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy [27], two from the six item Satisfaction With Illness Scale [55], and nine from the 20 item Spiritual Well-Being Scale [56]. When administered, the item stem, ''As a result of my cancer diagnosis and treatment...'' was used to focus the respondent and take a developmental perspective and reflect on the significance of the cancer experience with respect to meaning.…”

Section: Item Contentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring meaning in life following cancer

et al. 2006

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Meaning in life is a multi-faceted construct that has been conceptualized in diverse ways. It refers broadly to the value and purpose of life, important life goals, and for some, spirituality. We developed a measure of meaning in life derived from this conceptualization and designed to be a synthesis of relevant theoretical and empirical traditions. Two samples, all cancer patients, provided data for scale development and psychometric study. From exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses the Meaning in Life Scale (MiLS) emerged, and includes four aspects: Harmony and Peace, Life Perspective, Purpose and Goals, Confusion and Lessened Meaning, and Benefits of Spirituality. Supporting data for reliability (internal consistency, test-retest) and construct validity (convergent, discriminant, individual differences) are provided. The MiLS offers a theoretically based and psychometrically sound assessment of meaning in life suitable for use with cancer patients.

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“…may be the positive value that one assigns to one's own life (Garfield, 1973;Hutzell, 1986;Reker & Wong, 1988). Feelings of harmony and integration with life may be important to this dimension (Paloutzian & Ellison, 1982).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategies used in coping with a cancer diagnosis predict meaning in life for survivors.

Jim¹,

Richardson²,

Golden-Kreutz³

et al. 2006

Health Psychology

141

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The search for meaning in life is part of the human experience. A negative life event may threaten perceptions about meaning in life, such as the benevolence of the world and one's sense of harmony and peace. The authors examined the longitudinal relationship between women's coping with a diagnosis of breast cancer and their self-reported meaning in life 2 years later. Multiple regression analyses revealed that positive strategies for coping predicted significant variance in the sense of meaning in life-feelings of inner peace, satisfaction with one's current life and the future, and spirituality and faith-and the absence of such strategies predicted reports of loss of meaning and confusion (ps < .01). The importance and process of finding meaning in the context of a life stressor are discussed. Keywordscoping; meaning in life; survivor; breast cancer Human beings are motivated to find meaning in their lives (Frankl, 1959(Frankl, /1963. At no time is this more evident than in the aftermath of a traumatic event. Events that pose physical harm or death can shatter one's schemas of a just, purposeful world and an invulnerable self (JanoffBulman, 1989). A cancer diagnosis is one such event (e.g., Alter et al., 1996;Cordova et al., 1995). The diagnosis brings acute emotional distress (Andersen, Anderson, & deProsse, 1989;Epping-Jordan et al., 1999;Maunsell, Brisson, & Deschenes, 1992), and individuals struggle with questions about why the disease struck them, its significance for their future, and the changes that may follow. If patients can somehow answer these questions or address these issues, improved adjustment may follow. Several cross-sectional studies show that patients who report more meaning in their life in the wake of their cancer diagnosis also report less distress (Lewis, 1989; Vickberg, Bovbjerg, Du-Hamel, Currie, & Redd, 2000;Vickberg et al., 2001), though the causal ordering in the relationship is not clear.In the past, the varied conceptualizations of meaning in life-from one's attitude in the face of suffering (Frankl, 1959(Frankl, /1963) to a life story with oneself as the protagonist (Thompson & Janigian, 1988)-have made systematic study of meaning difficult. Theorists have suggested that meaning in life may be a multidimensional construct. One dimension may be satisfaction with "the network of people or things that comprise the immediate world" (Weisman & Worden, 1976, p. 3). For example, Frankl (1959/1963 suggested that meaning in life comes from interactions with the immediate world, the encounters and experiences one takes from the world, and the contributions one makes in return. A second dimension of meaning in life (Garfield, 1973;Hutzell, 1986;Reker & Wong, 1988). Feelings of harmony and integration with life may be important to this dimension (Paloutzian & Ellison, 1982). A third dimension may be the belief that life, and human life in particular, fits into an overall pattern that exists superior to the individual (Paloutzian & Ellison, 1982;Yalom, 1980). This may encompass reli...

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Meaning and Purpose in Life: Assessment Techniques of Logotherapy

Cited by 11 publications

References 4 publications

Logotherapy for clinical practice.

Logotherapy for clinical practice.

Measuring meaning in life following cancer

Strategies used in coping with a cancer diagnosis predict meaning in life for survivors.

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