Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor in Psychology (Psy. D.)

Abstract

It is likely that since man has first learned to communicate with one another, we have wondered what the meaning of life is. Throughout recorded history, groups of individuals with religious, philosophical, and scientific backgrounds have searched for the answer to this deceptively simple question. Previous research has shown that finding meaning in one’s life can render positive psychological and physiological outcomes for individuals presenting with depressive and anxiety disorders, trauma, chronic and terminal illness, and many more. There have been numerous attempts of creating assessments intended to measure a person’s meaning in life, however most of them either do not explore the different avenues that one may find meaning in, while others lack significant validity and reliability. This proposed assessment, the Meaning of Life Exploratory Tool (MOLE-T), is intended to be an easy-to-use, simple-to-interpret tool to explore one’s meaningful domains in their lives, and then utilize the results to take effective action to live a more fulfilling life.

Faculty Mentor

Theresa Botts, PhD

Department Affiliation

Psychology

Committee Member

Melinda Moore, PhD

Department Affiliation

Psychology

Committee Member

Jerry Palmer, PhD

Department Affiliation

Psychology

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