Purpose in Life in South Africa: A Comparison of American and South African Beliefs

Abstract

Crumbaugh and Maholick's Purpose-in-Life test was administered to 100 English-speaking South African subjects, who were later to become members of discrete religiously oriented groups, to test the hypothesis that samples of particular South African young people would receive substantially lower scores prior to their group affiliation than comparable American samples. This hypothesis was confirmed. Four individually distinct samples are briefly discussed and, although no conclusions can be reached because there are no South African norms, the finding of such dramatically low scores for these specific samples suggests the presence of maladjustment might be accounted for in terms of the existential crisis brought about through the rapid and substantial cultural change.