The Purpose in Life (PIL) measures more than absence of depression and internalized perceived locus of psychological reinforcement. Depressed external individuals are more identifiable from their existential malaise or emptyness. The experience of reinforcement for being in the world is beyond their control. (Author)

This study examined age and sex differences, and the interaction of age x sex, with respect to "meaning in life" as defined by Frankl and measured by the Purpose-in-Life Test (PIL) developed by Crumbaugh and Maholick. (Author)

In this study with 240 introductory psychology students, ten interpretable independent dimensions of satisfaction with life were extracted with six factors that loaded on the PIL and four that loaded on the SONG, supporting Crumbaugh's assertion that the SONG is a complementary scale to the PIL. (Author/SJL)

This research assessed the reliability and validity of the Purpose in Life test in an inmate population, investigated the relationship between the PIL test and attitudes, locus of control, personality factors, and several demographic variables, and compared the PIL scores of inmates with scores of normal samples. (Author/RK)