The Relation of Recalled Life Events, Childhood Relationships with Parents and Meaning in Life

Abstract

Abstract. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the significance of critical life events and childhood relations with parents for the present perception of meaning in life. A number of 231 volunteers of different ages and professions were questioned. They had to complete the Purpose in Life Test (PIL) by Crumbaugh and Maholick (1964), the Questionnaire of recalled parental rearing behaviour (QRBRB) by Schumacher, Eismann and Brähler (1999), a list of life events newly developed from the “Leipziger Ereignis- und Belastungsinventar (LEBI)” by Richter and Guthke (1995) and the Brief COPE by Carver (1997). Additionally they had to answer demographic questions about themselves. In the present study, specific demographic variables point to significant differences in the level of subjective meaning in life. According to the life events, significant correlations between the favourability of life events and the score of subjective meaning in life were found. There were also significant differences in the level of subjective meaning of life between those who had and those who had not experienced a certain life event. A general linear model demonstrated that the quality of recalled parental rearing behaviour moderates the relation of composite favourability of events to the subjective meaningfulness of life. The results of the demographic variables, life events and the perceived parental rearing behaviour were interpreted in the context of Frankl’s theory of meaning and other previous surveys. The data of coping is interpreted in the context of the hierarchical control theory of acting. On the highest level of this hierarchy the meaning of life is designed.

Keywords: meaning of life, life events, coping, parental rearing behaviour