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
Copyright
2024 Logan S. Burris
Recommended Citation
Burris, Logan S., "What is the meaning of this? A proposed assessment tool for exploring meaning of life in the therapeutic realm" (2025). Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects. 51.
https://encompass.eku.edu/psych_doctorals/51