Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ): A Full Guide for Researchers and Clinicians
Published
The Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) is a 10-item measure of presence of and search for meaning. Learn its subscales, scoring, reliability and uses.
Introduction
The Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) is a 10-item self-report measure of two things: the presence of meaning in life and the search for it. Michael F. Steger, Patricia Frazier, Shigehiro Oishi and Matthew Kaler published it in 2006 in the Journal of Counseling Psychology. The MLQ has received about 8,400 citations.
The developers aimed to provide an improved, unconfounded measure of meaning in life for well-being research and counseling psychology. This guide explains its two subscales, scoring, reliability evidence and practical uses.
Key Features of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ)
Purpose and Use
The MLQ measures how much people feel their lives are meaningful and how actively they seek meaning. The authors propose using it to gather information at intake, assess therapy outcomes and evaluate interventions that aim to increase well-being.
Target Population
The original validation study did not establish age-specific normative ranges. Its samples were mainly undergraduate students.
Structure
The MLQ contains 10 items in two 5-item subscales:
Presence of Meaning (items 1, 4, 5, 6 and 9): the subjective sense that one's life is meaningful, including a clear sense of purpose. Item 9, "My life has no clear purpose," is reverse-coded.Search for Meaning (items 2, 3, 7, 8 and 10): the drive and orientation toward finding meaning, such as looking for what makes life meaningful or purposeful.Scoring Method
Respondents rate each item on a 7-point scale:
1 = Absolutely Untrue, 2 = Mostly Untrue, 3 = Somewhat Untrue4 = Can't Say True or False5 = Somewhat True, 6 = Mostly True, 7 = Absolutely TrueAfter reverse-coding item 9, each subscale sums its five items, giving a range of 5 to 35; the article reports a scale midpoint of 20. The MLQ does not report a single total score, and no cut-off values are reported.
Administration Format
The MLQ is a self-report questionnaire, so respondents complete it themselves using the 7-point rating scale.
Applications of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ)
The authors propose several uses:
Intake: gathering information about meaning in life at the start of counseling.Therapy outcomes: assessing change in meaning during and after therapy.Intervention evaluation: evaluating programs designed to increase well-being.Well-being research: studying presence of and search for meaning as separate constructs.Languages and availability
Besides English, researchers have studied the MLQ in several languages, including:
German: a German-language study of meaning in life and nature connectednessPortuguese: a Portuguese-language dissertationJapanese: a Japanese translationHindi: validation of the Hindi MLQArabic, Chinese, Spanish and French versions are also reported.The University of Minnesota owns the copyright. The MLQ is free for research and clinical use; contact Michael F. Steger before noncommercial use. Commercial use is not permitted.
Reliability and Validity
The original studies showed good internal consistency. Cronbach's alphas for Presence and Search were .86 and .87 (Study 1b), .86 and .86 (Study 2), and .82 and .87 in the combined Study 3 sample.
Test–retest: one-month stability was .70 for Presence and .73 for Search.Factor structure: confirmatory factor analysis replicated the two-factor structure in independent samples.Distinct subscales: Presence and Search correlated only weakly (r = .19 and .28).Validity: a multitrait–multimethod analysis supported convergent and discriminant validity, and Presence correlated .58–.74 with the Purpose in Life Test and Life Regard Index.Validation studies:
The Meaning in Life Questionnaire: assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life (2006): study linkLimitations and Considerations
Keep these points in mind:
Convenience samples: the samples were mainly Midwestern undergraduate convenience samples, and the authors called for more diverse samples.No cut-off scores: no cut-off values are reported, and no single total score is used.Interpretation: the article does not define high or low scores beyond the subscale definitions.Other Versions And Related Questionnaires
No established official short form of the MLQ has been identified. These questionnaires are related:
Purpose in Life Test (PIL), used as a comparatorLife Regard Index (LRI), used as a comparatorSatisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), used for convergent validity; see the ResRef SWLS guideAdditional Resources
The original article: linkYou can access the MLQ as a PDF through this linkFor inquiries, contact Michael F. Steger at steg0043@umn.edu (address at publication: University of Minnesota, Department of Psychology, N218 Elliott Hall, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455).Browse more psychology questionnaires in the ResRef database.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does the Meaning in Life Questionnaire measure?The MLQ measures two separate things: the Presence of Meaning, or how meaningful life feels, and the Search for Meaning, or how actively a person looks for meaning.
How is the MLQ scored?Items are rated from 1 (Absolutely Untrue) to 7 (Absolutely True). After reverse-coding item 9, each 5-item subscale is summed, giving a range of 5 to 35. There is no single total score.
Is the MLQ free to use?Yes, for research and clinical use. Contact Michael F. Steger before noncommercial use; commercial use is not permitted, and the University of Minnesota owns the copyright.
How reliable is the MLQ?Cronbach's alphas ranged from .81 to .92 across studies, and one-month test–retest stability was .70 for Presence and .73 for Search.
A Word from ResRef About the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ)
The MLQ is a brief 10-item self-report tool that separately assesses the presence of and search for meaning in life, mainly in research and counseling contexts. The original studies showed good internal consistency (α = .81–.92), 1-month test-retest stability (.70 Presence, .73 Search), a replicated two-factor structure, and better discriminant validity than the PIL and LRI. Samples were mainly Midwestern undergraduate convenience samples and no cut-off scores are reported, so use in other populations should be interpreted cautiously.
References
Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(1), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.1.80Pfeifer, E., Wulf, H., Metz, K., Wüster, A., Pischel, M., & Wittmann, M. (2024). Correlations between meaning in life and nature connectedness: German-language validation of two topic-related measures and practical implications. Spiritual Care, 13(3), 242–256. https://doi.org/10.1515/spircare-2024-0011Sumi, K. (2019). The Japanese Translation of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire-Short Form: Reliability and Construct Validity. Psychology, 10(16), 2266–2276. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2019.1016143