The life engagement test: Assessing purpose in life

Michael F. Scheier, Carsten Wrosch, Andrew Baum, Sheldon Cohen, Lynn M. Martire, Karen A. Matthews, Richard Schulz, Bozena Zdaniuk

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

332 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article describes a 6-item scale, the Life Engagement Test, designed to measure purpose in life, defined in terms of the extent to which a person engages in activities that are personally valued. Psychometric data are presented including information about the scale's factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, discriminant predictive validity, and norms. The data suggest that the Life Engagement Test is psychometrically sound across different gender, age, and ethnic groups and is appropriate for wider use. Discussion centers on the use of the Life Engagement Test in behavioral medicine and health psychology research and recent associations that have begun to emerge between the scale and health-relevant outcomes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)291-298
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Behavioral Medicine
Volume29
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2006

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Psychology(all)
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The life engagement test: Assessing purpose in life'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this