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The PIL test to evaluate the meaning of life

The meaning of life is a priority motivation for every human being. That which drives you to continue in the most adverse situations. The PIL test is one of the most used instruments to evaluate this dimension.

Written and verified by the psychologist Elena Sanz.

The meaning of life is framed as one of the fundamental assumptions of logotherapy. According to this psychological current, this vital search is a primary need of every human being and is related to the motivation we feel regarding our own existence. The PIL test, which we will talk about today, is a questionnaire aimed at evaluating the achievement of life purpose.

It was the psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl, who founded and developed logotherapy. After spending several years in Nazi concentration camps, he discovered that The meaning that each one gives to life is what can drive us to continue even in the most adverse circumstances.. In fact, Frankl wrote the famous book about it: Man’s Search for Meaning, A work in which he tells, in first person, about his experience as a prisoner of the Nazi regime, in those pages the active principles of logotherapy are discovered.

“Once we give meaning to life, we not only feel a little better, but we also find the ability to deal with suffering.” – Viktor Frankl –

The PIL test: a life purpose

The PIL (Purpose In Life Test) is a 20-item evaluation instrument, created by Crumbaugh and Maholick in 1969. It is answered using a type scale likert which goes from 1 to 7, in ascending progression.

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Therefore, by adding the scores for each statement, a measure of the person’s achievement of meaning in life is found. The test analyzes 4 main factors:

Perception of meaning: It measures the individual’s appreciation of life and the extent to which he or she finds reasons to live it.Sense experience: It evaluates whether the person perceives life as full of good things.Goals and tasks: inquires about the individual’s objectives and the personal responsibility they feel for them.Destiny/Freedom Dialectic: inspects the attitude towards death as something fearful and uncontrollable.

Questionnaire items

This psychometric tool consists of 20 statements that are presented to individuals, who must indicate, for each item, one of the seven response categories. To carry out this evaluation It is essential to be honest with yourself, considering that there are no right or wrong answers.

Generally, I find: 1 (completely boring) to 7 (exuberant, enthusiastic).Life seems to me: 1 (completely routine) to 7 (always exciting).In life I have: 1 (no goal or desire) to 7 (many defined goals and desires).My personal existence is: 1 (without meaning or purpose) to 7 (full of meanings and purposes).Every day is: 1 (exactly the same) to 7 (always new and different).If I could choose: 1 (I would never have been born) to 7 (I would have nine other lives just like this one).After I retired: 1 (I would laze around for the rest of my life) to 7 (I would do the exciting things I always wanted to do).In achieving my life goals: 1 (I haven’t made any progress) to 7 (I have reached my complete realization).My life is: 1 (empty and full of despair) to 7 (a set of good and exciting things).If I died today, it would seem that my life has been: 1 (complete rubbish) to 7 (very valuable).When thinking about my own life: 1 (I often ask myself the reason why I exist) to 7 (I always find reasons to live).As I see it in relation to my life, the world: 1 (it completely confuses me) to 7 (fits my life significantly).I consider myself: 1 (an irresponsible person) to 7 (a very responsible personAs for the freedom he has to make his own choices, I believe that man is: 1 (completely slave to the limitations of heredity and environment) to 7 (absolutely free to make all your life choices).Regarding death, I am: 1 (unprepared and afraid) to 7 (prepared and fearless).Regarding suicide: 1 (I have seriously considered it as a way out of my situation.) to 7 (I have never given it a second of thought.).I consider that my ability to find meaning, a purpose in life is: 1 (practically zero) to 7 (very big).My life is: 1 (out of my hands and controlled by external factors) to 7 (ein my hands and under my control).Facing my daily tasks means: 1 (a painful and boring experience) to 7 (a source of pleasure and satisfaction).I have discovered: 1 (no mission or purpose in my life) to 7 (clear goals and a satisfying purpose for my life).

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Interpretation

When taking into account a maximum total of 140 points on the PIL test, we must consider that those who obtain scores below 90 would find themselves in a state of existential emptiness. On the other hand, those who score between 90 and 105 show lack of definition regarding the meaning of life. And finally, those who exceed 105 points would have a clear presence of goals and meaning in life.

A personal search

The purpose of life is unique and personal to each individual.. In turn, it changes throughout the life cycle, as needs and desires transform.

The point is that no one but us can take on this enormous responsibility. It is a non-transferable task: each person must discover, in a unique way, that motivation that gives meaning to their existence.

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All cited sources were reviewed in depth by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, validity and validity. The bibliography in this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.

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