Abstract
Introduction. Phenomena such as openness to the world, flexibility in changing one’s
existential beliefs and worldview, and the ability to ask oneself complex questions are
of both epistemological and psychological interest. Van Pachterbeke et al. refer to this
readiness to engage in questioning as existential quest. Their proposed construct allows
for assessing an individual’s readiness to change their fundamental beliefs related to
existential questions and worldview. The Scale of Existential Quest is a reliable tool for
research abroad but has not been used in Russian psychology. The aim of this study is
to test and validate the Scale of Existential Quest on a Russian-speaking sample as a tool
for determining openness to changing one’s existential beliefs. Methods. The adaptation
of the scale was carried out in several stages. At the first stage, the scale was translated,
and its content validity was assessed through expert evaluation (16 experts). At the
second stage, the internal reliability and convergent validity of the adapted scale were
examined (177 participants). At the third stage (500 respondents), external and construct
validity were evaluated. The following methods were used: NEO-FFI Questionnaire;
UCLA Loneliness Scale; DASS-21 Depression Scale; The Death Attitude Profile Revised;
Existential Concerns Questionnaire; Meaning in Life Questionnaire; Existential Isolation
Scale. Results. The basic psychometric indicators of reliability and validity of the scale
generally met expectations (content validity of all items was confirmed). Most of the
expected correlations were highly significant, except for a significant correlation with
«search for meaning in life» at the second stage, which can be explained by sample characteristics. The results of exploratory factor analysis at the second and third stages of
the study revealed several factors in the scale, which, based on theoretical justification,
is not plausible. The Appendix provides the finalized questionnaire ready for use.
Discussion. The obtained data confirmed the validity of using the concept of existential
quest as a measurable psychological construct.
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