Past research on peoples' self-reports of their meaning in life has not included those below college age. In contrast, the present study focused on such reports by 116 young adolescents. We found that the percentage seeming to understand what meaning in life was and able coherently to discuss their own was just as high as that found in older groups. Second, the types of meaning reported differed sufficiently from those of college students and other older subjects to require three new categories. A summary of results in relation to the maturity of the adolescents' meaning compared to that of the older samples yielded no solid conclusion.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllportG. W.Pattern and growth in personality. New York: Holt, 1961.
2.
CrumbaughJ. C.MaholickL. T.Manual of instructions for the Purpose in Life Test. Muster, IN: Psychometric Affiliates, 1969.
3.
DeVoglerK. L.EbersoleP.Categorization of college students' meaning in life. Psychological Reports, 1980, 46, 387–390.
4.
DeVoglerK. L.EbersoleP.Adults' meaning in life. Psychological Reports, 1981, 49, 87–90.
5.
EbersoleP.DeVoglerK. L.Meaning in life: category self-ratings. Journal of Psychology, 1981, 107, 189–193.
6.
FranklV.Man's search for meaning: an introduction to logotherapy. New York: Washington Square Press, 1963.
