Meaning as Horizon in the Religious Context: Development and Validation of a Short Scale in Poland

Most meaning measures ask whether people have meaning or are searching for it. These measures address meaning from religious, spiritual, humanistic, or other sources. But some individuals may fall outside this dichotomy. They maintain a sense of direction while accepting they cannot fully grasp life's ultimate significance. Current instruments may miss this group. We developed the Meaning Horizon Scale (MHS), grounded in biblical wisdom (Qohelet) and existential psychology (Frankl). The scale assesses three dimensions: Sense of Direction (knowing where life is headed), Acceptance of Limitations (being okay with not understanding everything), and Transcendent Awareness (feeling connected to something greater). Polish adults (N = 601) completed the MHS and related measures. Factor analyses supported the three-factor structure with acceptable fit (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.050) and adequate reliability (α = 0.72-0.83). The MHS showed moderate convergence with existing meaning measures but retained substantial unique variance (73% with MLQ Presence). It correlated with life satisfaction and resilience and predicted resilience beyond demographics (ΔR² = .078). Importantly, people across all levels of religious practice, including those who never practice, showed meaningful scores on horizon-oriented meaning-making. This suggests the MHS may capture something current measures overlook.