A Spanish Adaptation and Validation of the Purpose in Life Test – Short Form (PIL-SF)

Abstract

In the literature on meaning and purpose in life, distinguishing the two constructs remains an ongoing avenue of philosophical and empirical debate; however, there is general consensus in defining purpose in life as goal-directedness towards living a more meaningful life. Questionnaires measuring this goal-directedness, specifically, rather than broad measures of meaning, are necessary in order to further this vein of research. The Purpose in Life Test (PIL), developed by Crumbaugh and Maholick in the 1960s, has been shown to be a valid instrument for measuring meaning and purpose. Four of the 20 items composing the instrument have demonstrated greater internal coherence and greater precision for evaluating goal-directed purpose in life, specifically. Schulenberg et al. (2011) developed an abbreviated version of the PIL, which they termed the Purpose in Life test – Short Form (PIL-SF). This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and factor structure of the PIL-SF. This validation involved two different samples of university students: sample A (N = 368) and sample B (N = 336). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a 1-factor model, and reliability of the items was excellent. Results suggest that this new instrument is a valid and reliable measure of purpose in life, comparable to the English language PIL-SF.