The Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Revisiting the Evidence of Validity and Measurement Invariance Using the Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling

The Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) assesses two distinct dimensions of meaning in life: presence of meaning and search for meaning. The MLQ is the most widely used instrument for measuring meaning in life, yet there is a limited variety of validity evidence on the originally proposed two-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) solution. In this light, the present research examined, across five studies (total N = 3,205), several aspects of the MLQ’s validity and tested cross-gender and cross-national measurement invariance. We also examined the usefulness of the exploratory structural equation model (ESEM) of the MLQ as an alternative to the standard CFA model. The results obtained provide evidence for: (a) the validity (structural, convergent, concurrent, and incremental) of the MLQ ESEM factors; (b) full scalar invariance of the MLQ ESEM model across gender and partial measurement invariance across four countries; and (c) similar cross-national relationships between MLQ ESEM factors and measures of depression and life satisfaction. The present research provides support for the value of applying the ESEM framework in overcoming limitations of the CFA model when examining evidence on the MLQ’s validity.