Meaning in Life Questionnaire – MLQ
Measures the presence of meaning in life and the active search for meaning in life.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Meaning in Life Questionnaire – MLQ was developed by Michael F. Steger, Patricia Frazier, Shigehiro Oishi, & Matthew Kaler (2006). It is designed to measure Meaning in Life. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Presence of Meaning, Search for Meaning.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Presence of Meaning | 1,4,5,6,9 | 5 |
| Search for Meaning | 2,3,7,8,10 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Absolutely Untrue, 2 = Mostly Untrue, 3 = Somewhat Untrue, 4 = Can't Say True or False, 5 = Somewhat True, 6 = Mostly True, 7 = Absolutely True.
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 5 to 35. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Subscale Score: 5 – 15
- Average Subscale Score: 16 – 25
- High Subscale Score: 26 – 35
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Presence alpha = .81 to .86, Search alpha = .84 to .90.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.