Will to Live: The Fulfillment of Needs for Meaning and Its Relation to Meaning in Life

Abstract

One of the purposes of this study is to develop and test the factor structure of a multidimensional Needs for Meaning Scale (NFMS) and another purpose is to investigate the contribution of needs for meaning fulfillment on experiencing meaning in life by using self-determination theory. Baumeister asserts that meaning in life can be established with the possession of four needs for meaning: need for purpose, need for values and justification, need for efficacy, need for self-worth. To measure NFM, 33-itemed NFMS is constructed. Meaning in life was measured through the Purpose in Life (PIL) test. The data were gathered conveniently from 355 individuals. Both the NFMS and PIL test were investigated through confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) before two structural models were tested. The data were analyzed by means of a SEM analysis using AMOS program. Three different models of NFMS were tested. CFA confirmed four dimensions of NFMS in both a first- and second-order solutions. Additionally, both structural models had a good fit to data and indicated that needs for meaning fulfillment has positive contribution on meaning in life. The fulfillment of need for purpose emerged as the most important predictor of meaning in life. The findings were discussed in the light of explanatory power of the dimensions of needs for meaning on meaning in life. 

Keywords

• Needs for meaning
• Meaning in life
• Existential needs
• Self-determination theory
• Scale development

Yaşama İradesi: Anlam İhtiyacı Doyumu ve Yaşamın Anlamı ile İlişkisi

Öz

Bu araştırmanın amaçları çok boyutlu Anlam İhtiyacı ölçeğini geliştirmek, faktör yapısını belirlemek ve kendini belirleme kuramını kullanarak anlam ihtiyacı doyumunun yaşamın anlamı üzerindeki katkısını incelemektir. Baumeister, anlamlı yaşamın dört adet anlam ihtiyacına (amaç ihtiyacı, değerler ve meşrulaştırma ihtiyacı, yeterlilik ihtiyacı, öz-değer ihtiyacı) sahip olma ile ortaya çıkabileceğini ileri sürmektedir. Anlam ihtiyacını ölçmek için 33 ifadeli anlam ihtiyacı ölçeği geliştirilmiştir. Yaşamın anlamı, Yaşamda Amaç testi ile ölçülmüştür. Veriler kolayda ulaşılabilir örneklem yöntemi ile 355 kişiden toplanmıştır. Anlam ihtiyacı ölçeğinin ve yaşamda amaç testinin yapısal modelleri test edilmeden önce ölçekler doğrulayıcı faktör analizi (DFA) ile incelenmiştir. Veriler AMOS programı kullanılarak yapısal eşitlik modellemesi aracılığı ile analiz edilmiştir. Anlam ihtiyacı ölçeğinin üç farklı modellemesi test edilmiştir. DFA, dört boyutlu anlam ihtiyacı ölçeğinin tek faktör ve iki faktör çözümünü doğrulamıştır. Ek olarak, her iki yapısal model data ile iyi uyuma sahip olup, anlam ihtiyacı doyumunun yaşamın anlamı üzerinde olumlu katkıya sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Amaç ihtiyacı doyumunun yaşamın anlamlandırılmasında en önemli yordayıcı olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Bulgular, anlam ihtiyacı boyutlarının yaşamın anlamı üzerindeki açıklayıcılık gücünün ışığında tartışılmıştır. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Anlam ihtiyacı
• Yaşamın anlamı
• Varoluşçuluk
• Öz-belirleme kuramı
• Ölçek geliştirme
• Varoluşsal ihtiyaçlar

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