Value Systems and Commitment to Goals as a Function of Age,Integration of Personality,and Fear of Death

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between age, integration of personality, and fear of death and two aspects of the meaning of life (content of values and degree of commitment). Three groups (young adulthood; middle adulthood; and late adulthood) of men and women from different cultural origins and various levels of education participated in the study. The subjects were requested to rank order eight types of values (understanding, relationship, service, belief, expression, obtaining, growth, and hedonism). They also responded to a questionnaire on the degree of commitment to the goal actualisation. The findings were analysed by means of analysis of variance, multiple regression, and smallest space analysis (S.S.A.). The results show that the late adulthood group differed from the other two groups in the content of meaning by shifting to a more spiritual set of values. Yet, interpersonal relationship was the most important value for all groups. Content of meaning was also related to one's level of education. The degree of commitment to goals was affected by integration of personality, age, and gender. Fear of death and cultural origin had no impact on content or commitment. The S.S.A. revealed two clear dimensions of the eight value categories: altruistic-egotistic and spiritual-materialistic.

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