Health – PED203 Spirituality and Life Attitude
People with higher levels of spirituality tend to be healthier. Spirituality is a person’s internal
sense of purpose, meaning, and future. The spiritual dimension is believed by some to be one’s
guiding dimension. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, explains,
Without clear purpose, you will keep change direction, jobs, relationships, churches or
other externals – hoping each change will settle the confusion….You think, “Maybe this
time it will be different.” But it doesn’t solve your real problem – a lack of focus and
purpose.
Your textbook indicates that spiritual health refers to “a belief in some unifying force that gives
purpose or meaning to life, or a sense of belonging to a scheme of being that is greater than the
purely physical or personal dimensions of existence.
Most people want spirituality in their lives, although not necessarily in the form of religion.
People often confuse religion with spirituality. Religion concerns an organized belief system
with particular rituals and practices that are learned primarily in places of worship. Spirituality,
on the other hand, is a way of being that can be learned anywhere. People can have a deep sense
of spirituality without any formal religious participation. Although religion may be an outward
manifestation of spirituality, religiousness does not guarantee spirituality. Spirituality is one of
those qualities that people may have only when seeking it, but many people don’t know how.
The Life Attitude Profile – Revised was developed to measure meaning in life among individuals
of all ages. Results from the survey are viewed as a valid measure of both current and future
meaning and purpose in life. It is also predictive of outcome variables including health and life
satisfaction. Rate each of the following questions on a 7-point scale, with 7 being “strongly
agree” and 1 being “strong disagree.” When you have completed each sub-section, add up your
score. Determine your Personal Meaning Index and Existential Transcendence scores by
following the mathematical calculations given after the profile.
Life Attitude Profile - Revised (Reker and Peacock 1981)
Purpose in Life (PU)
Past achievements give my life meaning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I have clear goals and aims 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I have clear goals and aims 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I have discovered a satisfying life purpose 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I live the kind of life I want to live 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I know where my life is going 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I In achieving life’s goals, I have felt fulfilled 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
My mission in life give me direction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Subtotal:
Coherence (CO)
The meaning of life is evident in the world around us 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I am aware of a powerful purpose toward which my life has been directed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
My life philosophy gives significance to my life 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Thinking of my life, I see a reason for my being here 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
A framework helps me understand life 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Parts of my life fit in a unified pattern 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I have a clear understanding of the ultimate meaning in life 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
My personal existence is orderly and coherent 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Subtotal:
Choice/ Responsibleness (CR)
Directing life is important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
My accomplishments are my effort 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I determine what happens in my life 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I am free to make all life choices 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I can live my life the way I want to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
My life is in my hands; I am in control 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
In regarding important life matters, I make my own choices 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I accept personal responsibility for my own life 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Subtotal:
Death/Acceptance (DA)
I am less concerned about death than others 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Death makes little difference to me 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I am not concerned about the inevitability of death 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I neither fear death nor welcome it 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
There is no sense in worrying about death 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I am not frightened of death like others 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The thought of death seldom enters my mind 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I accept death as another life experience 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Subtotal:
Existential Vacuum (EV)
I seem in charge of my main objectives in life 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Something is missing from my life 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I feel a lack of and a need to find real meaning in my life 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
New activities soon lose their attractiveness 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I am destined to accomplish something important, but I cannot put my finger on it 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I daydream of finding a new place for my life and a new identity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I find myself withdrawing from life with an “I don’t care” attitude 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Life to mean seems boring and uneventful 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Subtotal:
Goal-Seeking (GS)
New and different things appeal to me 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I would enjoy breaking loose from the routine life 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I am restless 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I feel the need for adventure and “new worlds to conquer” 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
A new challenge in my life would appeal to me now 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I hope for something exciting in the future 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I am eager to get more out of my life than I have so far 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I am determined to achieve new goals in the future 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Subtotal:
Personal Meaning Index (PMI): (PMI = PU + CO) _____________
Existential Transcendence (ET): [ET = PU + CO + DA – (EV + GS)] __________
What Do Your Scores Mean?
With the exception of the Existential Vacuum category, for which the inverse would be true,
higher scores are better. The maximum number of points for any one category is 56 points.
Below are descriptions for each of the categories and their roles that they play.
Purpose in Life (PU) – refers to having life goals, having a mission in life, have a sense of
direction from the past, in the present, and toward the future. Implicit is the notion of what is
centrally important in a person’s life.
Coherence (CU) – refers to an intuitive understanding of self, others, and life in general. Gives a
indication of a persons’ belief in his/her reason for existence.
Choice/Responsibleness (CR) – refers the perception of freedom to make all of life’s choices.
Provides an index of the degree to which a person perceives she/he is directing his/her life.
Death/Acceptance (DA) – refers to having an absence of fear regarding death as well as an
acceptance of death as a natural aspect of life.
Existential Vacuum (EV) – refers to having a lack of meaning and direction in life.
Goal-Seeking (GS) – refers to one’s eagerness to get more out of life
Personal Meaning Index (PMI) – provides a measure (PMI = PU + CO) of a person’s personal
meaning. Refers to having life goals, as well as a mission and sense of direction in life.
Existential Transcendence (ET) - a global measure [ET = PU + CO + DA – (EV + GS)] of
attitudes toward life that takes into account both the degree and to which meaning and purpose
have been discovered and the motivation to find meaning and purpose.
How Does Your Score Compare to Others?
Life Attitude College College College – National –
Dimensions Men – Women – Means (2002) Means (1981)
Means (2002) Means (2002)
Purpose in Life 41.31 41.84 41.55 40.03
Coherence 40.12 41.28 40.68 38.40
Choice/Responsibleness 44.40 44.61 44.50 44.94
Death/Acceptance 38.13 35.37 36.76 36.13
Existential Vacuum 32.03 29.14 30.58 25.92
Goal-Seeking 42.49 42.05 42.26 41.15
Composite Scales
Personal Meaning 74.62 77.12 75.84 78.43
Index
Existential 143.60 145.06 144.30 92.47
Transcendence
References
Dennis, Dixie; Muller, Susan M.; Miller, Kim; and Banerjee, Priya. (2004) Spirituality among a
college student cohort: A quantitative assessment. American Journal of Health Education 35,
214-219.
Donatelle, Rebecca J. (2004) Access to Health. 44-45.
Health – PED203 13 Conversations About One Thing
Character Analysis
You will be conducting an in-depth analysis of the spiritual and subjective well-being of two
characters from the film 13 Conversations About One Thing. Resources used in this analysis
include the Life Attitude Profile and your Access to Health textbook. You may also wish to
access the film’s website at www.sonyclassics.com/13conversations to supplement your
responses or reconsider specific aspects of your characters.
1) Choose one character with which you most closely can relate (Character A) and one character
from which you are most different (Character B). Which characters did you choose?
2) Compare (similarities) and contrast (differences) Character A and Character B.
3) Complete the Life Attitude Profile for each your characters. Take the time to carefully
consider how each of them would respond the questions in the profile.
a) In what categories would Character A score highest? Lowest? Why?
b) In what categories would Character B score highest? Lowest? Why?
4) Considering the results of the Life Attitude Profile you calculated for each of your characters,
compare their Personal Meaning Index and Existential Transcendence scores to the national
scores.
a) Cite examples of or describe reasons for similarities and differences between Character
A’s scores and national scores.
b) Cite examples of or describe reasons for similarities and differences between Character
B’s scores and national scores.
5) Consider the external and internal factors of psychosocial health described on page 44-45 of
your text.
a) Which external and internal factors most greatly affect Character A?
b) Which external and internal factors most greatly affect Character B?
6) Subjective well-being refers to the uplifting feeling of inner peace called happiness.
Subjective well-being is defined by three central components: satisfaction, relative presence of
positive emotions, and relative absence of negative emotions. (Descriptions of these components
are found on page 50 of your textbook.)
a) Consider the 3 components of subjective well-being. Describe, using examples,
Character A’s subjective well-being.
b) Consider the 3 components of subjective well-being. Describe, using examples,
Character B’s subjective well-being.