Psychometric Properties of Wong’s Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief Among Spanish Older People

Psychometric Properties of Wong’s Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief Among Spanish Older People | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Psychometric Properties of Wong’s Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief Among Spanish Older People Joaquín García-Alandete This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6531011/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Self-transcendence can be defined as what goes beyond one’s limitations and difficulties in life in order to serve or connect with something greater. Self-transcendence is related to both mental and physical health in older people, so it is important to have instruments to measure it properly. This study analyzes the psychometric properties of Wong’s Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief (STM-B) in 333 Spanish older people (142 men and 191 women age-ranged from 65 to 93 years, M = 70.53, SD = 4.60). The STM-B, Meaning in Life Questionnaire , Brief Resilient Coping Scale , Satisfaction With Life Scale , Scales of Psychological Well-Being-Stress Subscale , and Geriactic Depression Scale-15 Items were used. The STM-B showed (1) an acceptable internal consistency, (3) an adequate model-data fit, (4) metric, scalar, strict, and structural invariance across gender groups, (5) not significant gender-related differences in self-transcendence, (6) positive, significant correlationships with presence of/search for meaning, resilient coping, and satisfaction with life, while negative, not significant correlationships with both stress and depression, and (7) not significant differences related to marital status, academic level, and income. The STM-B is a reliable and valid scale for assessing self-transcendence in older people. Psychology Self-transcendence logotherapy older people Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief psychometric properties Figures Figure 1 Introduction Self-transcendence According to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2023), Viktor E. Frankl (1905–1997), the founder of logotherapy, was the first that described self-transcendence as the essence of human existence (Frankl, 1959 , 1966 ). For Frankl, self-transcendence implies a constant orientation towards reality external to one’s own individual, whether it is the realization of a purpose or the establishment of affective bonds with others (Frankl, 2000 ). This orientation constitutes, at the same time, the will to meaning, understood as the fundamental motivation of the human being to experience a life with meaning. Likewise, from this perspective, human existence only reaches its authenticity when it is lived in terms of this self-transcendence (Frankl, 2000 ). For Frankl, true fulfillment and meaning in life come when one looks beyond his/her own needs and desires. Instead of focusing solely on self-gratification, authentic existence arises when one transcends his/her own ego and contributes to something greater, such as helping others or living for a cause. Frankl ( 2000 ) believed that self-transcendence leads to a deeper sense of purpose and meaning, which is central to human well-being and psychological health. According to Frankl ( 2000 ), a meaningful life is based on self-transcendence by realizing creative, experiential and attitudinal values. Therefore, the opposite of self-transcendence is egocentricity, in such a way that as well as self-transcendence is related to meaningful life, egocentricity is identified to existential vacuum (e.g. Frankl, 1972 ). The Canadian psychologist Paul T. P. Wong has developed a contemporary extension of self-transcendence within the framework of logotherapy, defining it from different complementary dimensions. On the one hand, Wong describes self-transcendence as the ability to go beyond one’s own limitations and life difficulties in order to establish a connection with something higher (Wong et al., 2021a ), and, on the other, as a lifestyle oriented towards facing inevitable suffering and existential restrictions, with a view to achieving lasting happiness and full development of the being (Wong et al., 2021b ). In addition, Wong ( 2021 ) states that this process involves a profound spiritual transformation, capable of radically reorienting the person’s life purpose, also constituting a path towards authentic self-realization by overcoming internal and external obstacles and destructive forces. Thus, self-transcendence is configured as a central axis both in Frankl’s classical theory and in his contemporary evolution, articulating the search for meaning with growth and personal resilience. Accordingly, Wong states that self-transcendence is spiritually rooted and involves (1) a spiritual pathway that enhances meaning in life and well-being, (2) an emotional response of awe, love, and appretiation among other emotions that connect individuals to each other, (3) an altruistic and prosocial behavior, (4) virtue and value, (5) personal growth, and (6) a contribution to mature happiness (Cf. Wong, 2014 , 2016b ). On the other hand, self-transcendence enables people to overcome and transform suffering into resilience (Wong et al., 2021a ). Meaning in life and self-transcendence as understood by both Frankl and Wong are intimately intertwined, in such a manner that the main aim of logotherapy is “to reorient people’s basic life values from the pursuit of success and happiness to the pursuit of meaning fulfillment and self-transcendence” (Wong, 2014 , p. 166). Furthermore, a “deep sense of meaning involves the volition to exercise the will to the meaning of an individual to pursue self-transcendence for the common good regardless of sacrifice and suffering” (Wong et al., 2021a , p. 6). According to Wong, self-transcendence derives from three levels of meaning-seeking: (1) meaning of the moment through mindful awarness (meaning as mindfulness to here-and-now), (2) meaning in life through the pursuit of a calling (meaning as vocation), and (3) ultimate meaning through faith in a trascendental real (meaning as spirituality) (Wong, 2016a , 2016b ), and involves (1) a shift in focus from the self to others, (2) a shift in values, (3) an increase in moral concern, and (4) emotions of awe (Wong, 2016a ). Self-transcendence and mental health Self-transcendence has been found to be positively related to positive existential and psychological functioning: virtue, happiness, and meaning in life (e.g. Huang & Yang, 2023 ; Wong, 2016c ), coping and well-being (e.g. Reed & Haugan, 2021 ) as well as self-esteem and internal locus of control (e.g. Er & Buzlu, 2022 ), among others. Likewise, self-transcendence facilitates the shift from a self-centered consciousness to other-centered consciousnes (Kim et al., 2023 ), enables the exploration of the adaptive benefits of anxiety (e.g. Flotman, 2021 ), and allows to transcend suffering through affective, cognitive and motivational processess (e.g. Ge & Yang, 2023 ), among other positive benefits. Self-transcendence has been found negatively related to depression (e.g. Er & Buzlu, 2022 ; Kim et al., 2015 ), anxiety, sadness and loneliness (e.g. Liu et al., 2021), and substance abuse (e.g. Sørensen & Lien, 2022 ), among others. However, other studies found no strong correlations between self-transcendence and any measure of psychological or physical health (e.g. Kirk et al., 1999 ). Gender, marital status, academic level, income, and self-transcendence Gender and self-transcendence Findings on gender differences in self-transcendence have been inconsistent and, in many cases, contradictory. Some studies have identified significant differences, while others have not found sufficient evidence to support such distinctions. For example, Kirk et al. ( 1999 ), using a sample of Australian older adults ( M age = 61.5, SD = 8.7) and using the Temperament and Character Inventory self-transcendence items (Cloninger et al., 1993 ), found that women scored significantly higher than men on self-transcendence, which could be influenced by specific generational and cultural factors, as well as by the characteristics of the instrument used, which emphasizes personality dimensions that might be related to traditional gender norms. In contrast, research such as that of Ellermann and Reed ( 2001 ), with a sample of 133 middle-age adults (67 women and 66 men age-ranged from 25 to 64 years; M age = 42.9, SD = 11), found no significant differences between men and women when using the Self-Transcendence Scale (Reed, 1986 ). Similar results were observed in the study by Cole and McNulty ( 2011 ) with a sample of 37 male and 31 female expatriates, where, although women scored higher, the difference did not reach statistical significance. These results could reflect the growing convergence of gender roles in younger generations and in professional contexts, as well as the influence of contextual factors such as the international work environment in the case of expatriates. In a meta-analysis that included 13 studies with people over 65 years of age, Haugan et al. ( 2022 ) did not find significant variance associated with gender. This finding suggests that in old age factors such as accumulated life experience, spirituality or adaptation to loss may play a more decisive role in self-transcendence than gender. Similarly, the study by Usta and Bayram ( 2021 ), conducted with 72 elderly individuals (20 women and 52 men age-ranged from 60 to 94 years; M age = 73.72, SD = .45) who were living in a nursing home in Turkey, also reported no significant differences between men and women. These discrepancies could be due to a combination of methodological factors (such as different measurement instruments, sample sizes and characteristics, sociocultural contexts) and conceptual factors (such as different approaches to what self-transcendence entails). Likewise, it is possible that self-transcendence is not a dimension strongly influenced by gender per se , but rather by variables related to life trajectory, culture, spirituality and social environment. Self-transcendence and marital status, educational level and income The results related to self-transcendence based on marital status, educational level, and economic income have been diverse and, in some cases, inconsistent. Regarding marital status, Kirk et al. ( 1999 ) observed that women who were married, widowed, or in de facto relationships had significantly lower levels of self-transcendence than those who were single, separated, or divorced. This finding could be interpreted in terms of personal autonomy and the redirection of vital meaning after experiences of rupture or loss, which could promote deeper processes of existential reflection, favoring self-transcendence. On the other hand, findings on educational attainment tend to show a positive association, although not consistently. McCarthy et al. ( 2013 ) reported that people with higher levels of education scored higher in self-transcendence, which could be explained by greater exposure to philosophical, spiritual, or ethical ideas, as well as greater opportunities for personal development. In addition, Kim et al. ( 2015 ) found that low levels of education and income were associated with lower levels of self-transcendence, suggesting that structural conditions may limit the possibility of engaging in processes of searching for meaning or spiritual development, possibly due to the prioritization of basic needs. However, this association has not been confirmed in all contexts. For example, Usta and Bayram ( 2021 ), in a study with a geriatric population in an institutionalized setting, did not find a significant relationship between self-transcendence and marital status or educational level. This absence of differences could be explained by the homogeneity of living conditions in nursing homes or by the fact that, in advanced stages of the life cycle, factors such as spirituality, coping with finitude and acquired wisdom can exert a greater weight than traditional sociodemographic variables. Taken together, these discrepancies can be attributed both to methodological differences (such as the sociodemographic characteristics of the samples, the measurement instruments, or the cultural contexts) and to the inherent complexity of the concept of self-transcendence, which seems to be influenced by a dynamic interaction between personal, contextual, and existential factors. Self-transcendence in older people Self-transcendence in older people can be defined as “a shift in metaperspective, from a midlife materialistic and rational vision to a more cosmic and transcendent one, accompanied by an increase in life satisfaction” (Tornstam, 2005 , pp. 40–41). That process involves a series of changes with respect to the previous evolutionary stages in three domains or dimensions: (1) cosmic: new definitions of time and return to chilhood, connection to earlier generations (stream of life, not individual life), disappearance of the fear of death and new comprehension of life and death, acceptation of the mystery in life, and joy of experiencing subtle experiences; (2) self: discovery of hidden aspects of the self, decreasing of self-centeredness, development of body-transcendence, shift from egoism to altruism, and ego-integrity; and (3) social, interpersonal: diminished interest in superficial relationships, increased need for periods of solitude (not isolation), understanding of the difference between self and roles, emancipated innocence that transcends needless conventions, modern ascetism, and everyday wisdom. In relation to other variables, self-transcendende has been found a key contributor to well-being, mental health, and healthy aging in older people (Haugan et al., 2022 ; Kim & Seo, 2022 ; McCarthy & Bockweg, 2013 ; Usta & Bayram, 2021 ). Wong’s Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief Wong developed the Self-Transcendence Measure (Wong et al., 2016 ) to assess self-transcendence from a logotherapeutic perspective. From this original version, an abbreviated version composed of 10 Likert-type items (0 = Not at all characteristic of me or my beliefs; 4 = Very characteristic of me or my beliefs) was derived, known as the Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief (STM-B; Wong et al., 2021a ) (see Appendix for English original version and Spanish translation used for this study), in a sample of 235 participants (134 men and 101 women age ranged from 18 to 72 years; M age = 34.94, SD = 10.31) from the USA ( n = 166, 70.6%), India, ( n = 51, 21.7%), and other countries ( n = 18, 7.7%). Wong et al.’s ( 2021a ) found that the STM-B was a unidimensional scale with a good data-model fit, χ2 = 45.062, p = .119, CFI = .978, RMSEA = .036, a good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha between .84 and .88), convergent validity, and a high test-retest reliability ( r = .70, p < .001) over 3–4 weeks. The STM-B correlated positively, p < .001, with measures of harmony in life, satisfaction with life, happiness, positive affect, eudaimonic well-being, peace of mind, whereas correlated negatively, not significantly with measures of both negative affect and narcissism. The STM-B scale assumes Wong’s ( 2021 a) paradigm of self-transcendence, according to which self-transcendence can only be experienced by satisfying the deepest longing for connection with ourselves, with others, and with God. Regarding to that, STM-B (1) assesses well-being in a way that is not dependent on positive emotions and positive circumstances, (2) shifts attention from behavior and cognition to the spiritual dimension, as distinctive of human beings, and (3) recognizes that self-transcendence is the most promising path to moral virtue, eudaimonic happiness, and existential meaning. The present study The objective of this study was to estimate the internal consistency and to analyze the structural validity, invariance across gender, differences in self-transcendence related to gender, and convergent validity of the STM-B in Spanish older people. Complementarily, the differences in self-transcendence related to marital status, academic level, and income were analyzed. The hypotheses were that (1) the STM-B scale would show acceptable internal consistency, (2) that the STM-B would show and adequate data-model fit, (3) there would be invariance across gender in the STM-B, (4) the differences between men and women in self-transcendence would not be significant, (5) single, separated or divorced participants would score in self-transcendence higher than those who were married, widowed, and in de facto relationships, (6) participants with higher academic level would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower academic level, (7) self-transcendence would be positively related to meaning in life, resilient coping and satisfaction with life, while negatively to both stress and depression, and (8) participants with higher income would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower income. As far as we know, this study is the first one to analyze the psychometric properties of the STM-B in Spanish older people. Methods Participants Participants were 333 Spanish older people (142 men, 42.6%, and 191 women, 57.14%) age-ranged from 65 to 93 years old ( M = 70.53, SD = 4.60). Most of the participants ( n = 324, 97.30%) were aged between 65 and 80 years old. A convenience sampling method was employed, which is commonly used in studies involving older populations due to practical considerations such as accessibility, willingness to participate, and the logistical challenges of random sampling in this demographic group. An invitation to collaborate was sent via email to Spanish associations of retired people across the country during the first half of 2024, aiming to recruit participants from diverse geographical regions. These associations were selected because they represent an organized and accessible segment of the retired population who are actively engaged in community life and thus more likely to meet the inclusion criteria and complete the assessment procedures. Participation was voluntary and without financial compensation. The inclusion requirements for the research included community residency and being 65 years of age or older. A diagnosis of mental retardation or a neurological condition that hinders comprehension of the Spanish language served as the exclusion criterion. All participants were retired at the time of the assessment to collect data for this study. Table 1 shows participants’ sociodemographic variables. Table 1 Instruments The Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief (STM-B; Wong et al., 2021a), which was described above, was used in this study for assessing self-transcendence. To examine the convergent validity of the STM-B, a set of theoretically and empirically related constructs were assessed using the following instruments, whose selection was based on associations proposed in the literature between self-transcendence and key indicators of meaning, psychological adjustment, and well-being in older adults. Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ; Steger et al., 2006). In this study, the Spanish version of the MLQ was used (Steger & Zaccagnini, 2023). The MLQ is a 10 Likert-type items scale (1 = Completely false; 7 = Completely true) that assesses Presence of Meaning (MLQ-P) and Search for Meaning (MLQ-S) (Steger et al., 2006). The MLQ-P subscale assesses the subjective sense that one’s life is meaningful, whereas the MLQ-S subscale assesses the drive and orientation toward finding meaning in one’s life (Steger, 2024; Steger et al., 2006). In this study both the MLQ-P and MLQ-S showed a good internal consistency, v = .86 and v = .91 respectively. Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS; Sinclair & Wallston, 2004). The Moret-Tatay et al.’s (2015) Spanish adaptation, that was carried out with 991 participants (75.9% men and 24.2% women) aged between 50 and 85 years ( M = 62.7, SD = 5.89), was used. The BRCS assesses optimism, perseverance, creativity, and positive growth in the face of adversity through 4 Likert-type response items (1 = Doesn’t describe me at all; 5 = Describes me very well). The maximum score is 20 points: the higher the score the greater the resilience. A resilient coping pattern is described as the reflection of an active problem-solving model (Sinclair & Wallston, 2004). Moret-Tatay et al. (2015) found an internal consistency of the BRCS of a = .86.In this study the BRCS showed an acceptable internal consistency, v = .71. Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985). The Spanish adaptation by Atienza et al. (2000), which was found to be adequated for assessing satisfaction with life in Spanish older people (Pons et al., 2000), was used. The SWLS comprises five 5-point Likert-type items (1 = Strongly disagree; 5 = Strongly agree) on the person’s overall assessment of his/her own life, and can be considered a measure of hedonic well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2008). The total score ranges from 0 to 15 points: the higher the score the greater the satisfaction with life. The SWLS showed adequate internal consistency in the study by Diener et al. (1985), a = .87, and in the Spanish study by Pons et al. (2000), a = .82. In this study the SWLS showed an internal consistency of v = .78. Scales of Psychological Well-Being-Stress Subscale (SPWB-S; Ryff, 1989). The Spanish adaptation of Villar et al. (2010), which was carried out with 107 Spanish older people (65 women and 42 men; M age = 69.5, SD = 5.2), was used. The stress subscale of that adaptation (SPWB-S) is composed by three items (I feel overwhelmed by my responsibilities; The demands of everyday life depress me; I find it difficult to organize my life satisfactorily) which are responded in a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree; 4 = Strongly agree). The total score ranges from 3 to 12: the higher the score the lower the psychological well-being. In this study, the SPWB-S showed an acceptable internal consistency, v = .79. Geriactic Depression Scale-15 Items (GDS-15; Yesavage y Sheikh, 1986). In this study, the Martínez et al.’s (2002) adaptation, which was carried out with 249 Spanish older people (≥ 65 years old; M age = 74.3; 67.5% women), was used. The GDS-15 is a 15-item scale mainly used for screening for depression in older people. The items of the GDS-15 are scored dichotomously (1/0): for 10 of the items, the answer “yes” indicates depression (e.g. “Do you feel like your life is empty?”) and is scored with a 1, while the remaining five items are formulated in reverse, so that the answer “no” indicates depression (e.g. “In general, are you satisfied with your life?”) and it is this that is scored as a 1. The direct score on the scale, which ranges from 0 to 15, is obtained by adding the scores assigned to the items: the higher the score, the more the depression. In this study, the Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20), which is used to evaluate the internal consistency of tests that contain dichotomous items, showed an aceptable internal consistency for the GDS-15, KR-20 = .77. Statistical Analyses To conduct the following statistical analyses, the JASP (version 0.18.3) for Windows (JASP Team, 2024) software was used. First, descriptive statistics (minimum and maximum scores, mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis) and internal consistency of the STM-B were calculated. Since the STM-B scale is an ordinal scale, the McDonald’s omega (v), which has a value between 0 and 1, was used (internal consistency is acceptable if ≥ .70) (McNeish, 2018). Internal consistency if any item dropped and item-scale corrected correlationships of the STM-B were also calculated. In addition to v, the Average Interitem Correlation (AIC) of the STM-B was analyzed (the AIC score should be between .15 and .50) (Clark & Watson, 1995). Second, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the STM-B was carried out, using the Unweighted Least Squares (ULS) estimator with robust corrections (Li, 2016; Xia & Yang, 2019), suitable for ordinal scales. Fit indices included the Comparative Fit Index (CFI; Hu & Bentler, 1999) (values ≥ .95 indicate good model fit) and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA; Browne & Cudeck, 1993) (values ≤ .08 indicate acceptable model fit; values ≤ .05 indicate good model fit; Kline, 2023). The sample size used in this study ( n = 333) was suitable to carry out a CFA of the STM-B, since it exceeded the criterion of 10 participants per estimated parameter (Kline, 2023) and the recommended minimum of 200 participants (Jackson, 2003). Third, an invariance analysis across gender for the STM-B was conducted (Milfont & Fischer, 2010). The differences between the CFI fit index (ΔCFI) and the RMSEA index (ΔRMSEA) were used for evaluating the fit difference between nested models (values ≤ .01 on ΔCFI (Cheung & Rensvold, 2002) and an increase < .015 on the ΔRMSEA (Chen, 2007) indicate invariance). The gender subsamples sizes used in this study (men, n = 142; women, n = 191) were suitable to carry out an invariance test, since exceeded the criterion of 10 participants per estimated parameter (Kline, 2023). Fourth, the Mann-Whitney test ( U ) for independent samples was used for analyzing the gender-related differences in the STM-B. The differences between the marital status, academic level, and monthly income groups in the STM-B were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Fifth, for analyzing the convergent validity of the STM-B, the correlationships between self-transcendence, presence of meaning, search for meaning, resilient coping, satisfaction with life, stress, and depression were calculated. Since the STM-B, MLQ, SWLS, BRCS, and SPWB-S are ordinal scales, the Spearman’s rho (ρ) correlation coefficient was used (Choi et al., 2010). Since the GDS-15 is a dichotomous scale, the correlationship between the STM-B and GDS-15 was calculated using the point-biserial correlation coefficient ( r pb ). Pairwaise deletion for missing data was applied for analyzing all these correlationships. Procedure An independent translator translated the STM-B from English to Spanish. Then, back-translation was carried out by another independent translator. Both translators were fluent speakers of both English and Spanish. Then, both the English and Spanish versions of the STM-B were reviewed by the authors of this study, resulting in common format translations. The last reviewed version of the STM-B was used in this study (Cfr. Fenn et al., 2020). Participants responded to a sociodemographic questionnaire and a protocol that included the scales used in this study through the LimeSurvey platform of the University of ANONYMIZED. The responses were exported to an excel file and then analyzed using the JASP statistical software. Information regarding confidentiality and data security was duly considered in this study. Participants’ responses were collected and stored using the LimeSurvey platform hosted by [ANONYMIZED] University. Access to the dataset was restricted exclusively to the authors of the present study, ensuring compliance with data protection and ethical research standards. Ethical Approval and Consent to participate This study is part of a research project approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Experimental Research Ethics Committee of the University of ANONYMIZED, Spain (code ANONYMIZED), and met the requirements of the Declaration of Helsinki revised in 2013. Participants that met the inclusion criteria signed the informed consent form and completed the assessment protocol. Results Descriptive statistics and internal consistency of the STM-B Table 2 shows the descriptive statistics and internal consistency of the Spanish adaptation for the STM-B obtained in this study. The skweness and the kurtosis coefficients found for the STM-B in this study showed a negative and platicurtic data distribution respectively, in the overall sample and in both men and women subsamples. Table 2 The McDonal’s v for that scale was of .85 (95% CI [.82, .87]) in the overall sample and for both men and women subsamples, not increasing by dropping any item. The AIC for the STM-B was .37, 95% CI [.32, .42]. Structural validity of the STM-B The STM-B showed an adequate model-data fit: χ 2 (35) = 92.60, CFI = .98, RMSEA = .07 (90% CI [.05, .09]) (Figure 1). All parameters were significant, p < .05. Figure 1 Invariance of the STM-B across gender Table 3 shows the baseline models and the invariance analyses for the STM-B across gender. The unidimensional model for the STM-B showed an acceptable fit in the gender groups, demonstrating metric, scalar, strict, and structural invariance. Table 3 Gender-related differences in the STM-B The Shapiro-Wilk test of normality, W = .94 for males and W = .93 for women, p < .001, suggested to use a non-parametric statistic. The Mann-Whitney test showed that the gender-related differences in the STM-B were not significant, U = 13152, p = .638. Convergent validity of the STM-B Self-transcendence correlated positively, significantly with presence of meaning, ρ = .32, p < .001, search for meaning, ρ = .34, p < .001, resilient coping, ρ = .11, p < .05, and satisfaction with life, ρ = .34, p < .001, while correlated negatively, not significantly with both stress, ρ = -.03, p = .59, and depression, r pb = -.05, p = .42. Differences in self-transcendence related to marital status, academic level, and monthly income Table 4 shows the means and standard deviations in the STM-B between the marital status, academic level, and monthly income groups. Table 4 The test for equality of variances (Levene’s) suggested to use an ANOVA for analyzing the differences in the STM-B between the marital status groups, F (4, 328) = .67, p = .61, academic level groups, F (6, 326) = .76, p = .60, and monthly income groups, F (5, 327) = .87, p = .50.The differences in self-transcendence were not significant between the marital status groups, F (4, 328) = 1.85, p = .12, the academic level groups, F (6, 326) = 1.15, p = .34, and the monthly income groups, F (5, 327) = .41, p = .84. Discussion The aims of this study were to estimate the internal consistency and to analyze the structural validity, invariance across gender and gender-related differences, and convergent validity of the STM-B in a sample of Spanish older people. Complementarily, the differences in self-transcendence related to marital status, academic level, and income were analyzed. The hypotheses were that (1) the STM-B scale would show acceptable internal consistency, (2) the STM-B would show and adequate data-model fit, (3) there would be invariance across gender in the STM-B, (4) the differences between men and women in self-transcendence would not be significant, (5) single, separated or divorced participants would score in self-transcendence higher than those who were married, widowed, and in de facto relationships, (6) participants with higher academic level would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower one, (7) self-transcendence would be positively related to meaning in life, resilient coping and satisfaction with life, while negatively to both stress and depression, and (8) participants with higher income would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower income. Descriptive statistics of the STM-B The means and standard deviations for the STM-B in the overall sample and for both the men and women subsamples were similar to the found by Wong et al. ( 2021a ), suggesting that the STM-B performs consistently across different samples, demonstrating similar central tendencies and levels of variability. On the other hand, the mean scores for both the men and women subsamples were very similar, suggesting that the STM-B works consistently across gender groups. The skewness coefficient obtained for the STM-B in this study indicates an asymmetrical distribution of the data, characterized by a longer left tail. This suggests a greater number of outliers on the lower end, resulting in a mean that is less than the median. The kurtosis coefficient, lower than 3, obtained for the STM-B shows that the tails were lighter and the peak was lower than in the normal distribution, which means that there were fewer extreme values and that most participants were close to the mean on the measure of self-transcendence. Internal consistency of the STM-B The hypothesis was that the STM-B scale would show an acceptable internal consistency. The result obtained confirmed this hypothesis: the STM-B showed an acceptable McDonald’s omega in the overall sample and in both men and women subsamples. That result is similar to the obtained by Wong et al. ( 2021a ) and suggests that the items on the scale are highly reliable and consistently measure the same underlying construct. Likewise, the average interitem correlation obtained suggests that the items of the STM-B are reasonably homogenous and contain enough unique variance to avoid being isomorphic with each other (Piedmont, 2014 ). All the item-total corrected correlationships for the STM-B were positive and higher than .40 for the overall sample and for the men and women subsamples. That is, the items of the STM-B measure the same underlying construct as the total scale in a moderate to strong relationship with the total score, contributing meaningfully to the overall measurement and showing good internal consistency and relevance to the overall scale. The correlations obtained for both the men and women subsamples indicate similar performance across gender groups. The items were functioning consistently well across both men and women, with only minor differences in the strength of these relationships between the groups. It points to no major gender-based differences in how the items correlate with the total score. In conclusion, in this study the STM-B demonstrated a good internal consistency and that is a reliable measure for both men and women, as well as that all items contribute meaningfully to the overall score, with moderate to strong correlations. The small differences in correlation ranges between men and women indicate no significant gender bias in item performance. Structural validity of the STM-B The hypothesis was that the STM-B would show and adequate data-model fit. The results obtained, confirmed this hypothesis and suggest that the STM-B is a unidimensional, parsimonious scale with good structural properties, whose items measure the same underlying construct, that is, self-transcendence. Wong et al. ( 2021a ) also obtained an acceptable data-model fit for the STM-B. Although the RMSEA was slightly higher in this study than those obtained by Wong et al. ( 2021a ) (.07 vs .036), it remains within the acceptable range, confirming that the STM-B maintains a good model fit across studies. Invariance of the STM-B across gender The hypothesis that there would be invariance across gender in the STM-B. The results obtained confirmed this hypothesis: the factor structure, factor loadings, means, and error variance were equivalent across gender for that measure of self-transcendence (Milfont & Fischer, 2010 ), which means that the STM-B is a gender-neutral measure and works equally well for men and women in terms of capturing the underlying concept of self-transcendence. Men and women interpret the construct of self-transcendence in a similar way, the relationship between the items and the overall construct is consistent for both subsamples score similarly on self-transcendence without significant gender differences, and the scale’s reliability is the same across genders, ensuring fair measurement. Overall, these results indicate that the STM-B is a gender-invariant scale and can be used reliably across both men and women for valid comparisons. Gender-related differences in self-transcendence The hypothesis predicting no gender differences in self-transcendence was supported. Although men showed slightly higher mean scores on the STM-B than women, the difference was not statistically significant, aligning with prior research (e.g., Haugan et al., 2022 ; Usta & Bayram, 2021 ). Statistically, this non-significance suggests random variation rather than a true gender-based difference. Psychometrically, the results may reflect that the STM-B is a gender-neutral instrument. Psychosocially, the absence of differences can be explained by shared human needs for meaning, connection, and growth (Frankl, 2000 ; Maslow, 1987 ), increased gender equality (Forgeard, 2024 ), and the common existential focus in later life (Worth & Smith, 2021 ). Overall, self-transcendence appears to be a universal psychological process experienced similarly by men and women, even if expressed through different life contexts. Convergent validity of the STM-B The hypothesis was that self-transcendence would be positively related to meaning in life, resilient coping, and satisfaction with life, and negatively related to both stress and depression. The results obtained confirme partially this hypothesis: the STM-B correlated positively, significantly with both presence of and search for meaning, resilient coping, and satisfaction with life, while correlated negatively, not significantly with both stress and depression. These results are partially comparable to those obtained previos studies. Wong et al. ( 2021a ) who found significantly moderate to moderate-high correlations between the STM-B and several measures of well-being (mature happiness, satisfaction with life, harmony in life, positive affect, eudaimonic well-being, peace of mind, and objective life condition), as well as negative, significant correlationship with psychological adjustment problems, and negative, not significant correlation with both negative affect and narcissism, in a sample of 223 participants (123 men, 55.2%, and 100 women, 44.8%, age ranged between 18 and 68 years, M = 35.4, SD = 11.44). Other studies found positive, significant correlationships between self-transcendence and meaning in life (e.g. Ge & Yang, 2023 ; Huang & Yang, 2023 ; Usta & Bayram, 2021 ), satisfaction with life (e.g. Olivera et al., 2024 ), and resilience (e.g. Haugan et al., 2022 ), as well as negative, significant correlationships between self-transcendence and stress (e.g. Liu et al., 2021; Trică et al., 2024 ). The non-significant correlations between self-transcendence, stress, and depression could be explained by a number of potential factors or mediating variables that might weaken or obscure the direct relationships between these constructs. For example, self-transcendence may not directly reduce stress or depression but instead may have its effects through other variables, such as social support, coping strategies, or meaning-making. People who experience self-transcendence could experience meaning in life, which can mitigate stress and depression indirectly through increased resilience or a stronger social support network. Likewise, it could be that the impact of self-transcendence on stress and depression might depend heavily on a one’s broader life context. For instance, people facing significant life stressors may experience stress and depression regardless of their sense of self-transcendence. In these cases, even if one has a sense of transcending his/her immediate self-interests or developing spiritual or existential goals, the severity of external stressors could overshadow any psychological benefits of self-transcendence. Therefore, the relationship between self-transcendence and mental health outcomes like stress and depression might be weaker or non-significant. On the other hand, the importance that individual differences may have on self-transcendence can be considered. Factors like personality, resilience, and coping styles can significantly influence how people handle stress and depression. For example, people who are naturally more resilient or have adaptive coping mechanisms (such as problem-focused coping) may experience less stress and depression, regardless of their level of self-transcendence. In contrast, those who have more pessimistic or emotion-focused coping styles may still experience higher levels of stress or depression even if they have a strong sense of self-transcendence. If these individual differences are not controlled for, they might account for the non-significant relationships. It could be possible that not all forms of self-transcendence have the same impact on mental health. Self-transcendence can be expressed in different ways, such as through spirituality, altruism, or a sense of purpose and that therefore s ome forms of self-transcendence might have more direct benefits for stress and depression than others. For instance, self-transcendence through spiritual practices may help reduce stress for some individuals, while for others, self-transcendence through altruistic activities may have less impact on depression if they don’t feel appreciated or supported in their endeavors. Finally, it could be possible that people who experience stress or depression may still engage in self-transcendence, but the presence of psychological distress may hinder their ability to experience the benefits of self-transcendence. In summary, the non-significant correlations between self-transcendence, stress, and depression might be explained by several factors, such as the role of mediating variables like social support, coping strategies, or meaning-making. The relationship could also be influenced by life context, individual differences in resilience and coping styles, or different forms of self-transcendence, each having varying impacts on mental health. It would be interesting to test these hypotheses in future research to better understand the complex dynamics between these constructs. Differences in self-transcendence related to marital status The hypothesis was that those participants who were single, separated or divorced would score in self-transcendence higher than those married, widows, and in de facto relationships. The results obtained in this study showed that the differences between the marital status groups were not significant. These results are contrary to those obtained by Kirk et al. ( 1999 ), who found higher self-transcendence among women who were married, widows and in de facto relationships than those who were single, separated or divorced. On the contrary, the results obtained in this study are comparable to those obtained by Usta and Bayram ( 2021 ), who found that self-transcendence was not significantly related to marital status. It could be that as people age, their sense of self-transcendence may become increasingly connected to their spirituality, philosophical beliefs, personal reflections, and sense of purpose in life, which are not necessarily dependent on whether they are married or not. Older adults often experience a shift towards finding meaning in life through personal growth, community involvement, and contributions to others, all of which may not require a marital relationship to foster. Likewise, older people may achieve self-transcendence through a variety of means that are independent of marital status (e.g. social relationships with other people, hobbies, or spiritual practices, among others) than may offer a sense of connectedness and, therefore, self-transcendence. On the other hand, it could be that the impact of marital status on self-transcendence may be less pronounced or even neutral, depending on the quality of the relationship with the partner (e.g. happy vs unhappy marriage or experience of loneliness or grief in those individuals who are widowed or divorced) and one’s life circumstances. Additionally, older people might experience greater autonomy in how they define and pursue self-transcendence, especially after the loss of a partner or in situations where the relationship with the partner was not central to their identity. This shift may lead to self-transcendence being associated with internal factors like inner peace, wisdom, and acceptance of life’s cycles. Differences in self-transcendence related to academic level The hypothesis was that those participants with a higher academic level would score higher in self-transcendence than those with a lower academic level. This study’s results showed did not support the hypothesis. It was found that the differences between the academic level groups were not significant. These results are contrary to those obtained by McCarthy et al. ( 2013 ), who found that people with higher education had the highest self-transcendence scores, and to those obtained by Kim et al. ( 2015 ), who reported that people with lower education levels showed the lowest self-transcendence scores. On the other hand, this study’s findings align with Usta and Bayram ( 2021 ), who also found no significant differences in self-transcendence based on educational background. The discrepancy in results in relation to the role that academic level may have on self-transcendence could be due to different factors, for example psychometric: the difference in sample size between the groups compared could affect statistical power and not identify significant differences. Other reasons could also explain the non-significant differences in self-transcendence related to academic level. For example, the relationship between self-transcendence and formal education could be influenced or mediated by many factors, such as personal experiences (e.g. challenges faced, life events), values and beliefs (e.g. spiritual or philosophical outlooks), psychological or personality characteristics (e.g. self-awareness, empathy), and cultural and socieconomic factors, among others. Likewise, it could be that the STM-B might not have fully accounted for the diverse ways in which people from different educational backgrounds experience or express transcendence. For example, higher-educated individuals might express transcendence through intellectual pursuits or social activism, while those with lower education might express it through family devotion, community service, or spirituality. It could be that academic level might not directly encourage self-transcendence or that while higher education can encourage critical thinking and broaden one’s worldview, it might not always foster personal development or a sense of connection to something greater than oneself. Ultimately, the lack of a significant relationship between academic level and self-transcendence in this study suggests that education might not be as central to self-transcendence as we might have expected. Instead, personal factors, life experiences, and psychological traits likely play a more important role in shaping self-transcendence than the level of formal schooling. Differences in self-transcendence related to income The hypothesis was that those participants with higher income would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower income. The results obtained in this study showed that the differences between the income groups were not significant, and are contrary to those obtained by Kim et al. ( 2015 ), who found that individuals with lower income and a low education level reported the lowest mean of self-transcendence. Various arguments can be offered to try to explain why income after retirement might not be strongly related to self-transcendence in older people. For example, it could be that by its nature, self-transcendence, particularly in older age, often involves a sense of meaning and connection that transcends economic concerns. Likewise, it could be that once one reaches a certain level of economic security, additional income may have little to no impact on their sense of self-worth or purpose and, instead, they may derive greater meaning from non-material sources (e.g. family, community involvement, volunteering, or pursuing personal passions). It could also be that once people are retired (as is the case of the participants in this study), their basic financial needs (e.g. housing, food, healthcare) may already be met through pensions, savings, or social security, reducing the importance of earning more income. The absence of financial stress can allow individuals to focus more on spiritual, psychological, or altruistic goals, rather than seeking further financial gain, which may have been a priority earlier in life. In the case of Spanish culture, the emphasis on interpersonal relationships could foster a greater focus on non-material goals such as personal growth, helping others, and finding meaning through relationships (e.g., Telefónica, 2024 ). In sum, it could be that while income may provide comfort and security, self-transcendence in later life is often more closely tied to emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions of well-being, rather than economical wealth. In summary, differences in self-transcendence associated with marital status, educational level, and income appear to share similar interpretative challenges, as the relationships are inconsistent across studies and likely influenced by contextual and mediating factors that warrant further investigation. Practical implications Promoting self-transcendence in older adults is crucial for their overall well-being, resilience, and sense of purpose and meaning in life. Self-transcendence, which involves moving beyond one’s own needs to connect with others, nature, or a higher purpose, can offer profound existential, socio-psychological, spiritual, and health benefits, particularly in later stages of life: Self-transcendence enhances the experience of meaning in life. As older adults face physical decline, loss of loved ones, and changing social roles, focusing on self-transcendence helps them find new meaning (e.g. Skerrett et al., 2022 ). By connecting with something greater than themselves, they often develop a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with life, seeing their lives as meaningful despite challenges (e.g. Gudmundsdottir et al., 2024 ). Self-transcendence encourages intergenerational bonds. When older adults engage in self-transcendent activities such as mentoring younger people or volunteering, they strengthen social connections, enrich their own lives, and also benefit society by preserving wisdom and shared values across generations (e.g. Suragarn et al., 2021 ). Self-transcendence fosters spiritual growth. Self-transcendence often aligns with spiritual development, which becomes more central to many people as they age, offering comfort, peace, and a sense of continuity, and helping older adults cope with existential concerns such as death (e.g. Manning et al., 2019 ). Self-transcendence supports healthy aging. Research links self-transcendence to physical and cognitive health benefits (e.g. McCarthy & Bockweg, 2013 ). By shifting focus away from self-centered concerns, older adults may experience less isolation, leading to healthier, more active lifestyles (e.g. Kim et al., 2021 ). In summary, promoting self-transcendence helps older adults navigate the complexities of aging with dignity, meaning, and joy, allowing them to continue contributing to, and benefiting from, the world around them (e.g. Abreu et al., 2023 ; McCarthy et al., 2015 ). It fosters a sense of purpose that enhances not only their individual well-being but also enriches the communities they engage with. However, it should be taken into account that it is possible that the relationship could work in the opposite direction, that is, that healthier people were more likely to report positive attitudes and a sense of purpose. Healthier people may have more physical energy, mental clarity, and overall well-being, which can make it easier for them to engage in activities that foster self-transcendence, such as contributing to their communities, forming meaningful connections, or pursuing personal growth. This could, in turn, lead to greater joy, meaning, and dignity as they navigate aging. Therefore, while promoting self-transcendence can certainly enhance well-being, it’s also important to consider how pre-existing health and well-being factors might influence an individual’s ability to cultivate and report positive attitudes and purpose. Measuring self-transcendence in older adults can contribute to the development of targeted interventions aimed at enhancing existential fulfillment and adaptive coping in late life, especially in contexts marked by loss, transition, or declining physical health. Despite its relevance, the availability of psychometrically sound instruments in languages other than English remains limited. Expanding the validation of measures like the STM-B in different cultural and linguistic contexts is therefore essential to advance cross-cultural research, ensure equitable access to assessment tools, and support the design of culturally sensitive programs that foster self-transcendence globally. Limitations of this study and suggestions for further research This study has a number of limitations. One limitation is the use of convenience sampling and an online survey format, which may have introduced selection bias. Older adults with limited access to digital technologies or lower digital literacy (often among the most socially or economically vulnerable) may have been underrepresented. As a result, the findings may not fully reflect the broader population of older adults, particularly those who are less technologically connected. Second, the age-related invariance of the BMS-B could not be analyzed, because most of the participants in this study were aged between 65 and 80 years old. Therefore, very old people aged more than 80 years old were underrepresented. Future studies using large samples with sufficient representation of different age groups of older people could analyze the invariance of the STM-B related to age. It would be interesting to deeply check the relationships between self-transcendence and sociodemographical and personality variables, as well as the ways in which these variables could mediate the relationship between self-transcendence, meaning in life, satisfaction with life, resilient coping, stress, and depression. In order to explore more accurately the relationships between self-transcendence and both stress and depression, they might be analyzed using samples composed by participants with/without anxiety and depression and statistical analyses other than correlation. 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Approaches to enhance social connection in older adults: an integrative review of literature. Aging and Health Research, 3 , 100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahr.2021.100029 Telefónica. (2024). La importancia de las conexiones humanas II [ The Importance of Human Connections II ]. https://mejorconectados.com/conexiones-humanas/la-importancia-de-las-conexiones-humanas-ii/ Tornstam, L. (2005). Gerotranscendence. A Developmental Theory of Positive Aging . Springer. Trică, A., Golu, F., Sava, N. I., Licu, M., Zanfirescu, Ș. A., Adam, R., & David, I. (2024). Resilience and successful aging: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Psychologica, 248 , 104357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104357 Usta, E., & Bayram, S. (2021). Determination of Factors Affecting Self‑Transcendence and Meaning in Life Among the Elderly Receiving Institutional Care. Journal of Religion and Health, 60 , 2024-2036. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01165-7 Villar, F., Triadó, C., Celdran, M., & Solé, C. (2010). Measuring well-being among Spanish older adults: Development of a simplified version of Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-being. Psychological Reports, 107 (1), 265-280. https://doi.org/10.2466/02.07.08.10.21.PR0.107.4.265-280 Wong, P. T. P. (2014). Viktor Frankl’s meaning-seeking model and positive psychology. In A. Batthyany & P. Russo-Netzer (Eds.), Meaning in Positive and Existential Psychology (pp. 149-184). Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0308-5_10 Wong, P. T. P. (2016a). Self-Transcendence: A Paradoxical Way to Become Your Best. International Journal of Existential Psychology & Psychotherapy, 6 (1). www.existentialpsychology.org Wong, P. T. P. (2016b). Meaning-seeking, self-transcendence, and well-being. In A. Batthyany (Ed.), Logotherapy and Existential Analysis: Proceedings of the Viktor Frankl Institute (Vol. 1; pp. 311-322). Springer. Wong, P. T. P. (2016c, June). Self-Transcendence as the Path to Virtue, Happiness and Meaning [Paper presentation]. Research Working Group Meeting for Virtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life Project, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. http://www.drpaulwong.com/self-transcendence-path-virtue-happiness-meaning Wong, P. T. P. (2021). The Frankl Cure for the 21st Century: Why Self-Transcendence is the Key to Mental Health and Flourishing. The International Forum for Logotherapy, 21 (1), 33-50. Wong, P. T. P., Arslan, G., Bowers, V. L., Peacock, E. J., Kjell, O. N. E., Ivtzan, I., & Lomas, T. (2021a). Self-Transcendence as a Buffer Against COVID-19 Suffering: The Development and Validation of the Self-Transcendence Measure-B. Frontiers in Psychology, 12 , 648549. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648549 Wong, P. T. P., Ivtzan, I., Lomas, T., & Kjell, O. (2016). Self-Transcendence Measure . http://www.drpaulwong.com/self-transcendence-path-virtue-happiness-meaning Wong, P. T. P., Page, D., & Cheung, T. C.-K. (2021b). A self-transcendence model of servant leadership. In D. van Dierendonck & K. Patterson (Eds.), Practicing Servant Leadership: Developments in Implementation (pp. 1-25). Palgrave Macmillan. Worth, P., & Smith, M. D. (2021). Clearing the Pathways to Self-Transcendence. Frontiers in Psychology, 12 , 648381. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648381 Xia, Y., & Yang, Y. (2019). RMSEA, CFI, and TLI in structural equation modeling with ordered categorical data: The story they tell depends on the estimation methods. Behavioral Research, 51 (1), 409-428. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-018-1055-2 Yesavage, J. A., & Sheikh, J. I. (1986). Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Recent evidence and development of a shorter version. Clinical Gerontologist, 5 (1-2), 165-173. Tables Table 1 Participants’ sociodemographic variables Variable Group n % Marital status Married 183 55.0 Separated or divorced 55 16.5 Widow 50 15.0 Unmarried 32 9.6 Unmarried, living with a partner 13 3.9 Academic level Graduate 119 35.7 Diploma 81 24.3 Secondary 40 12.0 Professional training 32 9.6 Master 29 8.7 Doctorate 24 7.2 Primary 8 2.4 Monthly income (euros) 3000 29 8.7 Note. N = 333. Table 2 Descriptive statistics of the STM-B Min. Max. M SD Skewness Kurtosis Item-total corrected correlationship v if item dropped Overall sample STM-B1 1 4 2.32 1.19 .25 (.13) -1.45 (.27) .51 .84 n = 333 STM-B2 1 4 2.68 1.22 -.20 (.13) -1.55 (.27) .52 .84 STM-B3 1 4 3.51 .84 -1.60 (.13) 1.50 (.27) .57 .83 STM-B4 1 4 3.42 .91 -1.47 (.13) 1.041 (.27) .47 .84 STM-B5 1 4 3.24 .95 -1.10 (.13) .18 (.27) .60 .83 STM-B6 1 4 3.24 .91 -.95 (.13) -.13 (.27) .64 .83 STM-B7 1 4 3.26 .89 -.98 (.13) .01 (.27) .57 .83 STM-B8 1 4 3.12 .97 -.75 (.13) -.57 (.27) .62 .83 STM-B9 1 4 3.29 .89 -1.14 (.13) .52 (.27) .61 .83 STM-B10 1 4 3.50 .87 -1.66 (.13) 1.66 (.27) .47 .84 STM-B (v = .85) 10 40 31.59 6.32 -.87 (.13) .31 (.27) Men STM-B1 1 4 2.35 1.17 .18 (.20) -1.46 (.40) .54 .84 n = 142 STM-B2 1 4 2.75 1.17 -.31 (.20) -1.42 (.40) .57 .84 STM-B3 1 4 3.52 .85 -1.66 (.20) 1.65 (.40) .55 .84 STM-B4 1 4 3.32 1.00 -1.24 (.20) .22 (.40) .52 .84 STM-B5 1 4 3.22 .97 -1.02 (.20) -.06 (.40) .60 .83 STM-B6 1 4 3.23 .94 -1.00 (.20) -.07 (.40) .64 .84 STM-B7 1 4 3.35 .88 -1.19 (.20) .50 (.40) .51 .84 STM-B8 1 4 3.04 .97 -.56 (.20) -.84 (.40) .60 .84 STM-B9 1 4 3.20 .92 -.95 (.20) -.02 (.40) .64 .84 STM-B10 1 4 3.41 .95 -1.40 (.20) .65 (.40) .45 .85 STM-B (v = .85) 10 40 31.38 6.50 -.82 (.20) .30 (.40) Women STM-B1 1 4 2.30 1.20 .31 (.18) -1.45 (.35) .49 .84 n = 191 STM-B2 1 4 2.62 1.25 -.12 (.18) -1.63 (.35) .49 .84 STM-B3 1 4 3.50 .83 -1.56 (.18) 1.46 (.35) .58 .83 STM-B4 1 4 3.50 .83 -1.67 (.18) 1.92 (.35) .43 .84 STM-B5 1 4 3.26 .94 -1.17 (.18) .41 (.35) .60 .83 STM-B6 1 4 3.25 .89 -.92 (.18) -.18 (.35) .65 .83 STM-B7 1 4 3.20 .90 -.86 (.18) -.22 (.35) .63 .82 STM-B8 1 4 3.18 .96 -.91 (.18) -.28 (.35) .64 .82 STM-B9 1 4 3.35 .85 -1.31 (.18) 1.12 (.35) .58 .83 STM-B10 1 4 3.57 .80 -1.90 (.18) 2.82 (.35) .48 .84 STM-B (v = .85) 10 40 31.75 6.19 -.91 (.18) .34 (.35) Note. In parenthesis, the standard error. Table 3 Test of invariance across gender for the STM-B Invariance SB χ2 ( df ) CFI RMSEA [90% CI] Δ SB χ2 (Δ df ) ΔCFI ΔRMSEA Baseline men 43.87 (35) .994 .042 [.000, .078] Baseline women 62.11 (35) .986 .064 [.037, .089] Configural 105.98 (70) .989 .056 [.032, .076] Metric 121.49 (79) .987 .057 [.036, .076] 15.51 (9) .002 .001 Scalar 161.09 (98) .981 .062 [.045, .079] 39.60 (19) .006 .005 Strict 161.09 (98) .981 .062 [.045, .079] .00 (0) .000 .000 Structural 167.27 (100) .980 .064 [.046, .080] 6.18 (2) .001 .002 Note . Values ≤ .01 on ΔCFI and an increase < .015 on the ΔRMSEA indicate invariance. Both the CFI and RMSEA indices have been calculated to three decimal places to more accurately check for differences between nested models. Table 4 Means and standard deviations in the STM-B in the marital status, academic level, and monthly income variables Variable Group n M SD SE Coefficient of variation Marital status Widow 50 32.20 5.65 .80 .18 Married 183 31.97 6.27 .46 .20 Separated, divorced 55 31.67 6.61 .89 .21 Unmarried 32 29.56 6.76 1.20 .23 Unmarried living with my partner 13 28.62 6.24 1.73 .22 Academic level Primary 8 33.88 5.57 1.97 .16 Doctorate 24 33.46 7.27 1.48 .22 Master 29 32.93 7.05 1.31 .21 Diploma 81 31.49 6.41 .71 .20 Graduate 119 31.40 5.63 .52 .18 Professional training 32 31.19 6.07 1.07 .19 Secondary 40 30.13 7.13 1.13 .24 Monthly income 2001-2500 124 31.90 6.87 .62 .22 1001-1500 40 31.82 6.07 .96 .19 2501-3000 74 31.66 5.77 .67 .18 3000 29 30.07 7.54 1.40 .25 Note . The groups of the variables were ordered in descending mean score in the STM-B. Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6531011","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":448156926,"identity":"ee3e3b25-1872-4ef6-a945-a9cdbf4f3647","order_by":0,"name":"Joaquín García-Alandete","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0769-4060","institution":"University of Valencia, Spain","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Joaquín","middleName":"","lastName":"García-Alandete","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-25 18:11:17","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":true,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true,"humanSubjectConsent":true,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6531011/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6531011/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":81517866,"identity":"3d1122f1-cfee-483e-93c5-613d0956e80c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-28 07:31:47","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":45927,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eModel for the STM-B obtained in the present study\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote.\u003c/em\u003e Values at the top of each rectangle are \u003cem\u003eR\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e; values at the left/right of each rectangle are errors. All parameter estimates are standardized.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6531011/v1/78a478c78c45d9efba0f821b.jpg"},{"id":81520109,"identity":"408702d0-eb67-4003-80ff-672f4feac654","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-28 07:55:48","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1266614,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6531011/v1/9d1d9c05-1334-456f-9cbb-7f8e632449e1.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePsychometric Properties of Wong’s Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief Among Spanish Older People\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec2\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSelf-transcendence\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2023), Viktor E. Frankl (1905–1997), the founder of logotherapy, was the first that described self-transcendence as the essence of human existence (Frankl, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1959\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1966\u003c/span\u003e). For Frankl, self-transcendence implies a constant orientation towards reality external to one’s own individual, whether it is the realization of a purpose or the establishment of affective bonds with others (Frankl, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e). This orientation constitutes, at the same time, the will to meaning, understood as the fundamental motivation of the human being to experience a life with meaning. Likewise, from this perspective, human existence only reaches its authenticity when it is lived in terms of this self-transcendence (Frankl, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor Frankl, true fulfillment and meaning in life come when one looks beyond his/her own needs and desires. Instead of focusing solely on self-gratification, authentic existence arises when one transcends his/her own ego and contributes to something greater, such as helping others or living for a cause. Frankl (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e) believed that self-transcendence leads to a deeper sense of purpose and meaning, which is central to human well-being and psychological health.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Frankl (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e), a meaningful life is based on self-transcendence by realizing creative, experiential and attitudinal values. Therefore, the opposite of self-transcendence is egocentricity, in such a way that as well as self-transcendence is related to meaningful life, egocentricity is identified to existential vacuum (e.g. Frankl, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1972\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Canadian psychologist Paul T. P. Wong has developed a contemporary extension of self-transcendence within the framework of logotherapy, defining it from different complementary dimensions. On the one hand, Wong describes self-transcendence as the ability to go beyond one’s own limitations and life difficulties in order to establish a connection with something higher (Wong et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e), and, on the other, as a lifestyle oriented towards facing inevitable suffering and existential restrictions, with a view to achieving lasting happiness and full development of the being (Wong et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021b\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, Wong (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR63\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) states that this process involves a profound spiritual transformation, capable of radically reorienting the person’s life purpose, also constituting a path towards authentic self-realization by overcoming internal and external obstacles and destructive forces. Thus, self-transcendence is configured as a central axis both in Frankl’s classical theory and in his contemporary evolution, articulating the search for meaning with growth and personal resilience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccordingly, Wong states that self-transcendence is spiritually rooted and involves (1) a spiritual pathway that enhances meaning in life and well-being, (2) an emotional response of awe, love, and appretiation among other emotions that connect individuals to each other, (3) an altruistic and prosocial behavior, (4) virtue and value, (5) personal growth, and (6) a contribution to mature happiness (Cf. Wong, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016b\u003c/span\u003e). On the other hand, self-transcendence enables people to overcome and transform suffering into resilience (Wong et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMeaning in life and self-transcendence as understood by both Frankl and Wong are intimately intertwined, in such a manner that the main aim of logotherapy is “to reorient people’s basic life values from the pursuit of success and happiness to the pursuit of meaning fulfillment and self-transcendence” (Wong, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e, p. 166). Furthermore, a “deep sense of meaning involves the volition to exercise the will to the meaning of an individual to pursue self-transcendence for the common good regardless of sacrifice and suffering” (Wong et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e, p. 6).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Wong, self-transcendence derives from three levels of meaning-seeking: (1) meaning of the moment through mindful awarness (meaning as mindfulness to here-and-now), (2) meaning in life through the pursuit of a calling (meaning as vocation), and (3) ultimate meaning through faith in a trascendental real (meaning as spirituality) (Wong, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016a\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016b\u003c/span\u003e), and involves (1) a shift in focus from the self to others, (2) a shift in values, (3) an increase in moral concern, and (4) emotions of awe (Wong, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016a\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSelf-transcendence and mental health\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence has been found to be positively related to positive existential and psychological functioning: virtue, happiness, and meaning in life (e.g. Huang \u0026amp; Yang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Wong, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR62\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016c\u003c/span\u003e), coping and well-being (e.g. Reed \u0026amp; Haugan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) as well as self-esteem and internal locus of control (e.g. Er \u0026amp; Buzlu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), among others.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLikewise, self-transcendence facilitates the shift from a self-centered consciousness to other-centered consciousnes (Kim et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), enables the exploration of the adaptive benefits of anxiety (e.g. Flotman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), and allows to transcend suffering through affective, cognitive and motivational processess (e.g. Ge \u0026amp; Yang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), among other positive benefits.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence has been found negatively related to depression (e.g. Er \u0026amp; Buzlu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Kim et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), anxiety, sadness and loneliness (e.g. Liu et al., 2021), and substance abuse (e.g. Sørensen \u0026amp; Lien, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), among others. However, other studies found no strong correlations between self-transcendence and any measure of psychological or physical health (e.g. Kirk et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGender, marital status, academic level, income, and self-transcendence\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGender and self-transcendence\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFindings on gender differences in self-transcendence have been inconsistent and, in many cases, contradictory. Some studies have identified significant differences, while others have not found sufficient evidence to support such distinctions. For example, Kirk et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e), using a sample of Australian older adults (\u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003eage\u003c/sub\u003e = 61.5, \u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e = 8.7) and using the \u003cem\u003eTemperament and Character Inventory\u003c/em\u003e self-transcendence items (Cloninger et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1993\u003c/span\u003e), found that women scored significantly higher than men on self-transcendence, which could be influenced by specific generational and cultural factors, as well as by the characteristics of the instrument used, which emphasizes personality dimensions that might be related to traditional gender norms.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn contrast, research such as that of Ellermann and Reed (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2001\u003c/span\u003e), with a sample of 133 middle-age adults (67 women and 66 men age-ranged from 25 to 64 years; \u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003eage\u003c/sub\u003e = 42.9, \u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e = 11), found no significant differences between men and women when using the \u003cem\u003eSelf-Transcendence Scale\u003c/em\u003e (Reed, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1986\u003c/span\u003e). Similar results were observed in the study by Cole and McNulty (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e) with a sample of 37 male and 31 female expatriates, where, although women scored higher, the difference did not reach statistical significance. These results could reflect the growing convergence of gender roles in younger generations and in professional contexts, as well as the influence of contextual factors such as the international work environment in the case of expatriates.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn a meta-analysis that included 13 studies with people over 65 years of age, Haugan et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) did not find significant variance associated with gender. This finding suggests that in old age factors such as accumulated life experience, spirituality or adaptation to loss may play a more decisive role in self-transcendence than gender. Similarly, the study by Usta and Bayram (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), conducted with 72 elderly individuals (20 women and 52 men age-ranged from 60 to 94 years; \u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003eage\u003c/sub\u003e = 73.72, \u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e = .45) who were living in a nursing home in Turkey, also reported no significant differences between men and women.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese discrepancies could be due to a combination of methodological factors (such as different measurement instruments, sample sizes and characteristics, sociocultural contexts) and conceptual factors (such as different approaches to what self-transcendence entails). Likewise, it is possible that self-transcendence is not a dimension strongly influenced by gender \u003cem\u003eper se\u003c/em\u003e, but rather by variables related to life trajectory, culture, spirituality and social environment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence and marital status, educational level and income\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results related to self-transcendence based on marital status, educational level, and economic income have been diverse and, in some cases, inconsistent. Regarding marital status, Kirk et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e) observed that women who were married, widowed, or in de facto relationships had significantly lower levels of self-transcendence than those who were single, separated, or divorced. This finding could be interpreted in terms of personal autonomy and the redirection of vital meaning after experiences of rupture or loss, which could promote deeper processes of existential reflection, favoring self-transcendence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, findings on educational attainment tend to show a positive association, although not consistently. McCarthy et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) reported that people with higher levels of education scored higher in self-transcendence, which could be explained by greater exposure to philosophical, spiritual, or ethical ideas, as well as greater opportunities for personal development. In addition, Kim et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) found that low levels of education and income were associated with lower levels of self-transcendence, suggesting that structural conditions may limit the possibility of engaging in processes of searching for meaning or spiritual development, possibly due to the prioritization of basic needs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, this association has not been confirmed in all contexts. For example, Usta and Bayram (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), in a study with a geriatric population in an institutionalized setting, did not find a significant relationship between self-transcendence and marital status or educational level. This absence of differences could be explained by the homogeneity of living conditions in nursing homes or by the fact that, in advanced stages of the life cycle, factors such as spirituality, coping with finitude and acquired wisdom can exert a greater weight than traditional sociodemographic variables.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTaken together, these discrepancies can be attributed both to methodological differences (such as the sociodemographic characteristics of the samples, the measurement instruments, or the cultural contexts) and to the inherent complexity of the concept of self-transcendence, which seems to be influenced by a dynamic interaction between personal, contextual, and existential factors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSelf-transcendence in older people\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence in older people can be defined as “a shift in metaperspective, from a midlife materialistic and rational vision to a more cosmic and transcendent one, accompanied by an increase in life satisfaction” (Tornstam, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e, pp. 40–41). That process involves a series of changes with respect to the previous evolutionary stages in three domains or dimensions: (1) cosmic: new definitions of time and return to chilhood, connection to earlier generations (stream of life, not individual life), disappearance of the fear of death and new comprehension of life and death, acceptation of the mystery in life, and joy of experiencing subtle experiences; (2) self: discovery of hidden aspects of the self, decreasing of self-centeredness, development of body-transcendence, shift from egoism to altruism, and ego-integrity; and (3) social, interpersonal: diminished interest in superficial relationships, increased need for periods of solitude (not isolation), understanding of the difference between self and roles, emancipated innocence that transcends needless conventions, modern ascetism, and everyday wisdom. In relation to other variables, self-transcendende has been found a key contributor to well-being, mental health, and healthy aging in older people (Haugan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Kim \u0026amp; Seo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; McCarthy \u0026amp; Bockweg, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Usta \u0026amp; Bayram, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWong’s Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWong developed the \u003cem\u003eSelf-Transcendence Measure\u003c/em\u003e (Wong et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR65\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) to assess self-transcendence from a logotherapeutic perspective. From this original version, an abbreviated version composed of 10 Likert-type items (0 = Not at all characteristic of me or my beliefs; 4 = Very characteristic of me or my beliefs) was derived, known as the \u003cem\u003eSelf-Transcendence Measure-Brief\u003c/em\u003e (STM-B; Wong et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e) (see Appendix for English original version and Spanish translation used for this study), in a sample of 235 participants (134 men and 101 women age ranged from 18 to 72 years; \u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003eage\u003c/sub\u003e = 34.94, \u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e = 10.31) from the USA (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 166, 70.6%), India, (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 51, 21.7%), and other countries (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 18, 7.7%).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWong et al.’s (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e) found that the STM-B was a unidimensional scale with a good data-model fit, χ2 = 45.062, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .119, CFI = .978, RMSEA = .036, a good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha between .84 and .88), convergent validity, and a high test-retest reliability (\u003cem\u003er\u003c/em\u003e = .70, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .001) over 3–4 weeks. The STM-B correlated positively, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .001, with measures of harmony in life, satisfaction with life, happiness, positive affect, eudaimonic well-being, peace of mind, whereas correlated negatively, not significantly with measures of both negative affect and narcissism.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe STM-B scale assumes Wong’s (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR63\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003ea) paradigm of self-transcendence, according to which self-transcendence can only be experienced by satisfying the deepest longing for connection with ourselves, with others, and with God. Regarding to that, STM-B (1) assesses well-being in a way that is not dependent on positive emotions and positive circumstances, (2) shifts attention from behavior and cognition to the spiritual dimension, as distinctive of human beings, and (3) recognizes that self-transcendence is the most promising path to moral virtue, eudaimonic happiness, and existential meaning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe present study\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe objective of this study was to estimate the internal consistency and to analyze the structural validity, invariance across gender, differences in self-transcendence related to gender, and convergent validity of the STM-B in Spanish older people. Complementarily, the differences in self-transcendence related to marital status, academic level, and income were analyzed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypotheses were that (1) the STM-B scale would show acceptable internal consistency, (2) that the STM-B would show and adequate data-model fit, (3) there would be invariance across gender in the STM-B, (4) the differences between men and women in self-transcendence would not be significant, (5) single, separated or divorced participants would score in self-transcendence higher than those who were married, widowed, and in de facto relationships, (6) participants with higher academic level would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower academic level, (7) self-transcendence would be positively related to meaning in life, resilient coping and satisfaction with life, while negatively to both stress and depression, and (8) participants with higher income would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower income.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs far as we know, this study is the first one to analyze the psychometric properties of the STM-B in Spanish older people.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eParticipants\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants were 333 Spanish older people (142 men, 42.6%, and 191 women, 57.14%) age-ranged from 65 to 93 years old (\u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e = 70.53, \u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e = 4.60). Most of the participants (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 324, 97.30%) were aged between 65 and 80 years old.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA convenience sampling method was employed, which is commonly used in studies involving older populations due to practical considerations such as accessibility, willingness to participate, and the logistical challenges of random sampling in this demographic group.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn invitation to collaborate was sent via email to Spanish associations of retired people across the country during the first half of 2024, aiming to recruit participants from diverse geographical regions. These associations were selected because they represent an organized and accessible segment of the retired population who are actively engaged in community life and thus more likely to meet the inclusion criteria and complete the assessment procedures. Participation was voluntary and without financial compensation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inclusion requirements for the research included community residency and being 65 years of age or older. A diagnosis of mental retardation or a neurological condition that hinders comprehension of the Spanish language served as the exclusion criterion. All participants were retired at the time of the assessment to collect data for this study. Table 1 shows participants’ sociodemographic variables.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInstruments\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eSelf-Transcendence Measure-Brief\u003c/em\u003e (STM-B; Wong et al., 2021a), which was described above, was used in this study for assessing self-transcendence.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo examine the convergent validity of the STM-B, a set of theoretically and empirically related constructs were assessed using the following instruments, whose selection was based on associations proposed in the literature between self-transcendence and key indicators of meaning, psychological adjustment, and well-being in older adults.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMeaning in Life Questionnaire\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e(MLQ; Steger et al., 2006). In this study, the Spanish version of the MLQ was used (Steger \u0026amp; Zaccagnini, 2023). The MLQ is a 10 Likert-type items scale (1 = Completely false; 7 = Completely true) that assesses Presence of Meaning (MLQ-P) and Search for Meaning (MLQ-S) (Steger et al., 2006). The MLQ-P subscale assesses the subjective sense that one’s life is meaningful, whereas the MLQ-S subscale assesses the drive and orientation toward finding meaning in one’s life (Steger, 2024; Steger et al., 2006). In this study both the MLQ-P and MLQ-S showed a good internal consistency,\u0026nbsp;v\u0026nbsp;= .86 and\u0026nbsp;v\u0026nbsp;= .91 respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrief Resilient Coping Scale\u003c/em\u003e (BRCS; Sinclair \u0026amp; Wallston, 2004). The Moret-Tatay et al.’s (2015) Spanish adaptation, that was carried out with 991 participants (75.9% men and 24.2% women) aged between 50 and 85 years (\u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e = 62.7, \u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e = 5.89), was used. The BRCS assesses optimism, perseverance, creativity, and positive growth in the face of adversity through 4 Likert-type response items (1 = Doesn’t describe me at all; 5 = Describes me very well). The maximum score is 20 points: the higher the score the greater the resilience. A resilient coping pattern is described as the reflection of an active problem-solving model (Sinclair \u0026amp; Wallston, 2004). Moret-Tatay et al. (2015) found an internal consistency of the BRCS of\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;= .86.In this study the BRCS showed an acceptable internal consistency,\u0026nbsp;v\u0026nbsp;= .71.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSatisfaction With Life Scale\u003c/em\u003e (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985). The Spanish adaptation by Atienza et al. (2000), which was found to be adequated for assessing satisfaction with life in Spanish older people (Pons et al., 2000), was used. The SWLS comprises five 5-point Likert-type items (1 = Strongly disagree; 5 = Strongly agree) on the person’s overall assessment of his/her own life, and can be considered a measure of hedonic well-being (Deci \u0026amp; Ryan, 2008). The total score ranges from 0 to 15 points: the higher the score the greater the satisfaction with life. The SWLS showed adequate internal consistency in the study by Diener et al. (1985),\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;= .87, and in the Spanish study by Pons et al. (2000),\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;= .82. In this study the SWLS showed an internal consistency of\u0026nbsp;v\u0026nbsp;= .78.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eScales of Psychological Well-Being-Stress Subscale\u003c/em\u003e (SPWB-S; Ryff, 1989). The Spanish adaptation of Villar et al. (2010), which was carried out with 107 Spanish older people (65 women and 42 men; \u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003eage\u003c/sub\u003e = 69.5, \u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e = 5.2), was used. The stress subscale of that adaptation (SPWB-S) is composed by three items (I feel overwhelmed by my responsibilities; The demands of everyday life depress me; I find it difficult to organize my life satisfactorily) which are responded in a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree; 4 = Strongly agree). The total score ranges from 3 to 12: the higher the score the lower the psychological well-being. In this study, the SPWB-S showed an acceptable internal consistency,\u0026nbsp;v\u0026nbsp;= .79.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGeriactic Depression Scale-15 Items\u003c/em\u003e (GDS-15; Yesavage y Sheikh, 1986). In this study, the Martínez et al.’s (2002) adaptation, which was carried out with 249 Spanish older people (≥ 65 years old; \u003cem\u003eM\u003csub\u003eage\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/em\u003e = 74.3; 67.5% women), was used. The GDS-15 is a 15-item scale mainly used for screening for depression in older people. The items of the GDS-15 are scored dichotomously (1/0): for 10 of the items, the answer “yes” indicates depression (e.g. “Do you feel like your life is empty?”) and is scored with a 1, while the remaining five items are formulated in reverse, so that the answer “no” indicates depression (e.g. “In general, \u0026nbsp; are you satisfied with your life?”) and it is this that is scored as a 1. The direct score on the scale, which ranges from 0 to 15, is obtained by adding the scores assigned to the items: the higher the score, the more the depression. In this study, the Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20), which is used to evaluate the internal consistency of tests that contain dichotomous items, showed an aceptable internal consistency for the GDS-15, KR-20 = .77.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStatistical Analyses\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo conduct the following statistical analyses, the JASP (version 0.18.3) for Windows (JASP Team, 2024) software was used.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst, descriptive statistics (minimum and maximum scores, mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis) and internal consistency of the STM-B were calculated. Since the STM-B scale is an ordinal scale, the McDonald’s omega (v), which has a value between 0 and 1, was used (internal consistency is acceptable if ≥ .70) (McNeish, 2018). Internal consistency if any item dropped and item-scale corrected correlationships of the STM-B were also calculated. In addition to\u0026nbsp;v, the Average Interitem Correlation (AIC) of the STM-B was analyzed (the AIC score should be between .15 and .50) (Clark \u0026amp; Watson, 1995).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSecond, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the STM-B was carried out, using the Unweighted Least Squares (ULS) estimator with robust corrections (Li, 2016; Xia \u0026amp; Yang, 2019), suitable for ordinal scales. Fit indices included the Comparative Fit Index (CFI; Hu \u0026amp; Bentler, 1999) (values ≥ .95 indicate good model fit) and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA; Browne \u0026amp; Cudeck, 1993) (values ≤ .08 indicate acceptable model fit; values ≤ .05 indicate good model fit; Kline, 2023). The sample size used in this study (\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 333) was suitable to carry out a CFA of the STM-B, since it exceeded the criterion of 10 participants per estimated parameter (Kline, 2023) and the recommended minimum of 200 participants (Jackson, 2003).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThird, an invariance analysis across gender for the STM-B was conducted (Milfont \u0026amp; Fischer, 2010). The differences between the CFI fit index (ΔCFI) and the RMSEA index (ΔRMSEA) were used for evaluating the fit difference between nested models (values ≤ .01 on ΔCFI (Cheung \u0026amp; Rensvold, 2002) and an increase \u0026lt; .015 on the ΔRMSEA (Chen, 2007) indicate invariance). The gender subsamples sizes used in this study (men,\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;n\u003c/em\u003e = 142; women, \u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 191) were suitable to carry out an invariance test, since exceeded the criterion of 10 participants per estimated parameter (Kline, 2023).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFourth, the Mann-Whitney test (\u003cem\u003eU\u003c/em\u003e) for independent samples was used for analyzing the gender-related differences in the STM-B. The differences between the marital status, academic level, and monthly income groups in the STM-B were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFifth, for analyzing the convergent validity of the STM-B, the correlationships between self-transcendence, presence of meaning, search for meaning, resilient coping, satisfaction with life, stress, and depression were calculated. Since the STM-B, MLQ, SWLS, BRCS, and SPWB-S are ordinal scales, the Spearman’s rho (ρ) correlation coefficient was used (Choi et al., 2010). Since the GDS-15 is a dichotomous scale, the correlationship between the STM-B and GDS-15 was calculated using the point-biserial correlation coefficient (\u003cem\u003er\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003epb\u003c/sub\u003e). Pairwaise deletion for missing data was applied for analyzing all these correlationships.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProcedure\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn independent translator translated the STM-B from English to Spanish. Then, back-translation was carried out by another independent translator. Both translators were fluent speakers of both English and Spanish. Then, both the English and Spanish versions of the STM-B were reviewed by the authors of this study, resulting in common format translations. The last reviewed version of the STM-B was used in this study (Cfr. Fenn et al., 2020).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants responded to a sociodemographic questionnaire and a protocol that included the scales used in this study through the LimeSurvey platform of the University of ANONYMIZED. The responses were exported to an excel file and then analyzed using the JASP statistical software.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInformation regarding confidentiality and data security was duly considered in this study. Participants’ responses were collected and stored using the LimeSurvey platform hosted by [ANONYMIZED] University. Access to the dataset was restricted exclusively to the authors of the present study, ensuring compliance with data protection and ethical research standards.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEthical Approval and Consent to participate\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study is part of a research project approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Experimental Research Ethics Committee of the University of ANONYMIZED, Spain (code ANONYMIZED), and met the requirements of the Declaration of Helsinki revised in 2013. Participants that met the inclusion criteria signed the informed consent form and completed the assessment protocol.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDescriptive statistics and internal consistency of the STM-B\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 2 shows the descriptive statistics and internal consistency of the Spanish adaptation for the STM-B obtained in this study. The skweness and the kurtosis coefficients found for the STM-B in this study showed a negative and platicurtic data distribution respectively, in the overall sample and in both men and women subsamples.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe McDonal’s\u0026nbsp;v\u0026nbsp;for that scale was of .85 (95% CI [.82, .87]) in the overall sample and for both men and women subsamples, not increasing by dropping any item. The AIC for the STM-B was .37, 95% CI [.32, .42].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStructural validity of the STM-B\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe STM-B showed an adequate model-data fit: χ\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e(35)\u003c/sub\u003e = 92.60, CFI = .98, RMSEA = .07 (90% CI [.05, .09]) (Figure 1). All parameters were significant, \u003cem\u003ep\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt; .05.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFigure 1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInvariance\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;of the STM-B across gender\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 3 shows the baseline models and the invariance analyses for the STM-B across gender. The unidimensional model for the STM-B showed an acceptable fit in the gender groups, demonstrating metric, scalar, strict, and structural invariance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGender-related differences in the STM-B\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Shapiro-Wilk test of normality, \u003cem\u003eW\u003c/em\u003e = .94 for males and \u003cem\u003eW\u003c/em\u003e = .93 for women, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .001, suggested to use a non-parametric statistic. The Mann-Whitney test showed that the gender-related differences in the STM-B were not significant, \u003cem\u003eU\u003c/em\u003e = 13152, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .638.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eConvergent validity of the STM-B\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence correlated positively, significantly with presence of meaning, ρ = .32, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .001, search for meaning, ρ = .34, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .001, resilient coping, ρ = .11, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .05, and satisfaction with life, ρ = .34, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .001, while correlated negatively, not significantly with both stress, ρ = -.03, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .59, and depression,\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;r\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003epb\u003c/sub\u003e = -.05, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .42.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDifferences in self-transcendence related to marital status, academic level, and monthly income\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 4 shows the means and standard deviations in the STM-B between the marital status, academic level, and monthly income groups.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe test for equality of variances (Levene’s) suggested to use an ANOVA for analyzing the differences in the STM-B between the marital status groups, \u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e(4, 328)\u003c/sub\u003e = .67, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .61, academic level groups, \u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e(6, 326)\u003c/sub\u003e = .76, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .60, and monthly income groups, \u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e(5, 327)\u003c/sub\u003e = .87, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .50.The differences in self-transcendence were not significant between the marital status groups, \u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e(4, 328)\u003c/sub\u003e = 1.85, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .12, the academic level groups, \u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e(6, 326)\u003c/sub\u003e = 1.15, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .34, and the monthly income groups, \u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e(5, 327)\u003c/sub\u003e = .41, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .84.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe aims of this study were to estimate the internal consistency and to analyze the structural validity, invariance across gender and gender-related differences, and convergent validity of the STM-B in a sample of Spanish older people. Complementarily, the differences in self-transcendence related to marital status, academic level, and income were analyzed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypotheses were that (1) the STM-B scale would show acceptable internal consistency, (2) the STM-B would show and adequate data-model fit, (3) there would be invariance across gender in the STM-B, (4) the differences between men and women in self-transcendence would not be significant, (5) single, separated or divorced participants would score in self-transcendence higher than those who were married, widowed, and in de facto relationships, (6) participants with higher academic level would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower one, (7) self-transcendence would be positively related to meaning in life, resilient coping and satisfaction with life, while negatively to both stress and depression, and (8) participants with higher income would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower income.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDescriptive statistics of the STM-B\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe means and standard deviations for the STM-B in the overall sample and for both the men and women subsamples were similar to the found by Wong et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e), suggesting that the STM-B performs consistently across different samples, demonstrating similar central tendencies and levels of variability. On the other hand, the mean scores for both the men and women subsamples were very similar, suggesting that the STM-B works consistently across gender groups.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe skewness coefficient obtained for the STM-B in this study indicates an asymmetrical distribution of the data, characterized by a longer left tail. This suggests a greater number of outliers on the lower end, resulting in a mean that is less than the median. The kurtosis coefficient, lower than 3, obtained for the STM-B shows that the tails were lighter and the peak was lower than in the normal distribution, which means that there were fewer extreme values and that most participants were close to the mean on the measure of self-transcendence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eInternal consistency of the STM-B\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypothesis was that the STM-B scale would show an acceptable internal consistency. The result obtained confirmed this hypothesis: the STM-B showed an acceptable McDonald’s omega in the overall sample and in both men and women subsamples. That result is similar to the obtained by Wong et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e) and suggests that the items on the scale are highly reliable and consistently measure the same underlying construct.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLikewise, the average interitem correlation obtained suggests that the items of the STM-B are reasonably homogenous and contain enough unique variance to avoid being isomorphic with each other (Piedmont, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll the item-total corrected correlationships for the STM-B were positive and higher than .40 for the overall sample and for the men and women subsamples. That is, the items of the STM-B measure the same underlying construct as the total scale in a moderate to strong relationship with the total score, contributing meaningfully to the overall measurement and showing good internal consistency and relevance to the overall scale. The correlations obtained for both the men and women subsamples indicate similar performance across gender groups. The items were functioning consistently well across both men and women, with only minor differences in the strength of these relationships between the groups. It points to no major gender-based differences in how the items correlate with the total score.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, in this study the STM-B demonstrated a good internal consistency and that is a reliable measure for both men and women, as well as that all items contribute meaningfully to the overall score, with moderate to strong correlations. The small differences in correlation ranges between men and women indicate no significant gender bias in item performance.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStructural validity of the STM-B\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypothesis was that the STM-B would show and adequate data-model fit. The results obtained, confirmed this hypothesis and suggest that the STM-B is a unidimensional, parsimonious scale with good structural properties, whose items measure the same underlying construct, that is, self-transcendence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWong et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e) also obtained an acceptable data-model fit for the STM-B. Although the RMSEA was slightly higher in this study than those obtained by Wong et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e) (.07 vs .036), it remains within the acceptable range, confirming that the STM-B maintains a good model fit across studies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec24\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eInvariance of the STM-B across gender\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypothesis that there would be invariance across gender in the STM-B. The results obtained confirmed this hypothesis: the factor structure, factor loadings, means, and error variance were equivalent across gender for that measure of self-transcendence (Milfont \u0026amp; Fischer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e), which means that the STM-B is a gender-neutral measure and works equally well for men and women in terms of capturing the underlying concept of self-transcendence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMen and women interpret the construct of self-transcendence in a similar way, the relationship between the items and the overall construct is consistent for both subsamples score similarly on self-transcendence without significant gender differences, and the scale’s reliability is the same across genders, ensuring fair measurement. Overall, these results indicate that the STM-B is a gender-invariant scale and can be used reliably across both men and women for valid comparisons.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec25\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eGender-related differences in self-transcendence\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypothesis predicting no gender differences in self-transcendence was supported. Although men showed slightly higher mean scores on the STM-B than women, the difference was not statistically significant, aligning with prior research (e.g., Haugan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Usta \u0026amp; Bayram, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistically, this non-significance suggests random variation rather than a true gender-based difference. Psychometrically, the results may reflect that the STM-B is a gender-neutral instrument. Psychosocially, the absence of differences can be explained by shared human needs for meaning, connection, and growth (Frankl, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e; Maslow, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1987\u003c/span\u003e), increased gender equality (Forgeard, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), and the common existential focus in later life (Worth \u0026amp; Smith, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR67\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Overall, self-transcendence appears to be a universal psychological process experienced similarly by men and women, even if expressed through different life contexts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec26\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eConvergent validity of the STM-B\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypothesis was that self-transcendence would be positively related to meaning in life, resilient coping, and satisfaction with life, and negatively related to both stress and depression. The results obtained confirme partially this hypothesis: the STM-B correlated positively, significantly with both presence of and search for meaning, resilient coping, and satisfaction with life, while correlated negatively, not significantly with both stress and depression.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese results are partially comparable to those obtained previos studies. Wong et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021a\u003c/span\u003e) who found significantly moderate to moderate-high correlations between the STM-B and several measures of well-being (mature happiness, satisfaction with life, harmony in life, positive affect, eudaimonic well-being, peace of mind, and objective life condition), as well as negative, significant correlationship with psychological adjustment problems, and negative, not significant correlation with both negative affect and narcissism, in a sample of 223 participants (123 men, 55.2%, and 100 women, 44.8%, age ranged between 18 and 68 years, \u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e = 35.4, \u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e = 11.44).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOther studies found positive, significant correlationships between self-transcendence and meaning in life (e.g. Ge \u0026amp; Yang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Huang \u0026amp; Yang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Usta \u0026amp; Bayram, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), satisfaction with life (e.g. Olivera et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), and resilience (e.g. Haugan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), as well as negative, significant correlationships between self-transcendence and stress (e.g. Liu et al., 2021; Trică et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe non-significant correlations between self-transcendence, stress, and depression could be explained by a number of potential factors or mediating variables that might weaken or obscure the direct relationships between these constructs. For example, self-transcendence may not directly reduce stress or depression but instead may have its effects through other variables, such as social support, coping strategies, or meaning-making. People who experience self-transcendence could experience meaning in life, which can mitigate stress and depression indirectly through increased resilience or a stronger social support network.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLikewise, it could be that the impact of self-transcendence on stress and depression might depend heavily on a one’s broader life context. For instance, people facing significant life stressors may experience stress and depression regardless of their sense of self-transcendence. In these cases, even if one has a sense of transcending his/her immediate self-interests or developing spiritual or existential goals, the severity of external stressors could overshadow any psychological benefits of self-transcendence. Therefore, the relationship between self-transcendence and mental health outcomes like stress and depression might be weaker or non-significant.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, the importance that individual differences may have on self-transcendence can be considered. Factors like personality, resilience, and coping styles can significantly influence how people handle stress and depression. For example, people who are naturally more resilient or have adaptive coping mechanisms (such as problem-focused coping) may experience less stress and depression, regardless of their level of self-transcendence. In contrast, those who have more pessimistic or emotion-focused coping styles may still experience higher levels of stress or depression even if they have a strong sense of self-transcendence. If these individual differences are not controlled for, they might account for the non-significant relationships.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt could be possible that not all forms of self-transcendence have the same impact on mental health. Self-transcendence can be expressed in different ways, such as through spirituality, altruism, or a sense of purpose and that therefore \u003cb\u003es\u003c/b\u003eome forms of self-transcendence might have more direct benefits for stress and depression than others. For instance, self-transcendence through spiritual practices may help reduce stress for some individuals, while for others, self-transcendence through altruistic activities may have less impact on depression if they don’t feel appreciated or supported in their endeavors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinally, it could be possible that people who experience stress or depression may still engage in self-transcendence, but the presence of psychological distress may hinder their ability to experience the benefits of self-transcendence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn summary, the non-significant correlations between self-transcendence, stress, and depression might be explained by several factors, such as the role of mediating variables like social support, coping strategies, or meaning-making. The relationship could also be influenced by life context, individual differences in resilience and coping styles, or different forms of self-transcendence, each having varying impacts on mental health. It would be interesting to test these hypotheses in future research to better understand the complex dynamics between these constructs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec27\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDifferences in self-transcendence related to marital status\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypothesis was that those participants who were single, separated or divorced would score in self-transcendence higher than those married, widows, and in de facto relationships. The results obtained in this study showed that the differences between the marital status groups were not significant.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese results are contrary to those obtained by Kirk et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e), who found higher self-transcendence among women who were married, widows and in de facto relationships than those who were single, separated or divorced. On the contrary, the results obtained in this study are comparable to those obtained by Usta and Bayram (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), who found that self-transcendence was not significantly related to marital status.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt could be that as people age, their sense of self-transcendence may become increasingly connected to their spirituality, philosophical beliefs, personal reflections, and sense of purpose in life, which are not necessarily dependent on whether they are married or not. Older adults often experience a shift towards finding meaning in life through personal growth, community involvement, and contributions to others, all of which may not require a marital relationship to foster.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLikewise, older people may achieve self-transcendence through a variety of means that are independent of marital status (e.g. social relationships with other people, hobbies, or spiritual practices, among others) than may offer a sense of connectedness and, therefore, self-transcendence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, it could be that the impact of marital status on self-transcendence may be less pronounced or even neutral, depending on the quality of the relationship with the partner (e.g. happy vs unhappy marriage or experience of loneliness or grief in those individuals who are widowed or divorced) and one’s life circumstances.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, older people might experience greater autonomy in how they define and pursue self-transcendence, especially after the loss of a partner or in situations where the relationship with the partner was not central to their identity. This shift may lead to self-transcendence being associated with internal factors like inner peace, wisdom, and acceptance of life’s cycles.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec28\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDifferences in self-transcendence related to academic level\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypothesis was that those participants with a higher academic level would score higher in self-transcendence than those with a lower academic level. This study’s results showed did not support the hypothesis. It was found that the differences between the academic level groups were not significant.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese results are contrary to those obtained by McCarthy et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e), who found that people with higher education had the highest self-transcendence scores, and to those obtained by Kim et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), who reported that people with lower education levels showed the lowest self-transcendence scores. On the other hand, this study’s findings align with Usta and Bayram (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), who also found no significant differences in self-transcendence based on educational background.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe discrepancy in results in relation to the role that academic level may have on self-transcendence could be due to different factors, for example psychometric: the difference in sample size between the groups compared could affect statistical power and not identify significant differences.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOther reasons could also explain the non-significant differences in self-transcendence related to academic level. For example, the relationship between self-transcendence and formal education could be influenced or mediated by many factors, such as personal experiences (e.g. challenges faced, life events), values and beliefs (e.g. spiritual or philosophical outlooks), psychological or personality characteristics (e.g. self-awareness, empathy), and cultural and socieconomic factors, among others.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLikewise, it could be that the STM-B might not have fully accounted for the diverse ways in which people from different educational backgrounds experience or express transcendence. For example, higher-educated individuals might express transcendence through intellectual pursuits or social activism, while those with lower education might express it through family devotion, community service, or spirituality.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt could be that academic level might not directly encourage self-transcendence or that while higher education can encourage critical thinking and broaden one’s worldview, it might not always foster personal development or a sense of connection to something greater than oneself.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUltimately, the lack of a significant relationship between academic level and self-transcendence in this study suggests that education might not be as central to self-transcendence as we might have expected. Instead, personal factors, life experiences, and psychological traits likely play a more important role in shaping self-transcendence than the level of formal schooling.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec29\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDifferences in self-transcendence related to income\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe hypothesis was that those participants with higher income would score higher in self-transcendence than those with lower income. The results obtained in this study showed that the differences between the income groups were not significant, and are contrary to those obtained by Kim et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), who found that individuals with lower income and a low education level reported the lowest mean of self-transcendence.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eVarious arguments can be offered to try to explain why income after retirement might not be strongly related to self-transcendence in older people. For example, it could be that by its nature, self-transcendence, particularly in older age, often involves a sense of meaning and connection that transcends economic concerns.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLikewise, it could be that once one reaches a certain level of economic security, additional income may have little to no impact on their sense of self-worth or purpose and, instead, they may derive greater meaning from non-material sources (e.g. family, community involvement, volunteering, or pursuing personal passions).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt could also be that once people are retired (as is the case of the participants in this study), their basic financial needs (e.g. housing, food, healthcare) may already be met through pensions, savings, or social security, reducing the importance of earning more income. The absence of financial stress can allow individuals to focus more on spiritual, psychological, or altruistic goals, rather than seeking further financial gain, which may have been a priority earlier in life. In the case of Spanish culture, the emphasis on interpersonal relationships could foster a greater focus on non-material goals such as personal growth, helping others, and finding meaning through relationships (e.g., Telefónica, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn sum, it could be that while income may provide comfort and security, self-transcendence in later life is often more closely tied to emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions of well-being, rather than economical wealth.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn summary, differences in self-transcendence associated with marital status, educational level, and income appear to share similar interpretative challenges, as the relationships are inconsistent across studies and likely influenced by contextual and mediating factors that warrant further investigation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePractical implications\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePromoting self-transcendence in older adults is crucial for their overall well-being, resilience, and sense of purpose and meaning in life. Self-transcendence, which involves moving beyond one’s own needs to connect with others, nature, or a higher purpose, can offer profound existential, socio-psychological, spiritual, and health benefits, particularly in later stages of life:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence enhances the experience of meaning in life. As older adults face physical decline, loss of loved ones, and changing social roles, focusing on self-transcendence helps them find new meaning (e.g. Skerrett et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). By connecting with something greater than themselves, they often develop a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with life, seeing their lives as meaningful despite challenges (e.g. Gudmundsdottir et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence encourages intergenerational bonds. When older adults engage in self-transcendent activities such as mentoring younger people or volunteering, they strengthen social connections, enrich their own lives, and also benefit society by preserving wisdom and shared values across generations (e.g. Suragarn et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence fosters spiritual growth. Self-transcendence often aligns with spiritual development, which becomes more central to many people as they age, offering comfort, peace, and a sense of continuity, and helping older adults cope with existential concerns such as death (e.g. Manning et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence supports healthy aging. Research links self-transcendence to physical and cognitive health benefits (e.g. McCarthy \u0026amp; Bockweg, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). By shifting focus away from self-centered concerns, older adults may experience less isolation, leading to healthier, more active lifestyles (e.g. Kim et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn summary, promoting self-transcendence helps older adults navigate the complexities of aging with dignity, meaning, and joy, allowing them to continue contributing to, and benefiting from, the world around them (e.g. Abreu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; McCarthy et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). It fosters a sense of purpose that enhances not only their individual well-being but also enriches the communities they engage with.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, it should be taken into account that it is possible that the relationship could work in the opposite direction, that is, that healthier people were more likely to report positive attitudes and a sense of purpose. Healthier people may have more physical energy, mental clarity, and overall well-being, which can make it easier for them to engage in activities that foster self-transcendence, such as contributing to their communities, forming meaningful connections, or pursuing personal growth. This could, in turn, lead to greater joy, meaning, and dignity as they navigate aging. Therefore, while promoting self-transcendence can certainly enhance well-being, it’s also important to consider how pre-existing health and well-being factors might influence an individual’s ability to cultivate and report positive attitudes and purpose.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMeasuring self-transcendence in older adults can contribute to the development of targeted interventions aimed at enhancing existential fulfillment and adaptive coping in late life, especially in contexts marked by loss, transition, or declining physical health. Despite its relevance, the availability of psychometrically sound instruments in languages other than English remains limited. Expanding the validation of measures like the STM-B in different cultural and linguistic contexts is therefore essential to advance cross-cultural research, ensure equitable access to assessment tools, and support the design of culturally sensitive programs that foster self-transcendence globally.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec31\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eLimitations of this study and suggestions for further research\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study has a number of limitations. One limitation is the use of convenience sampling and an online survey format, which may have introduced selection bias. Older adults with limited access to digital technologies or lower digital literacy (often among the most socially or economically vulnerable) may have been underrepresented. As a result, the findings may not fully reflect the broader population of older adults, particularly those who are less technologically connected.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecond, the age-related invariance of the BMS-B could not be analyzed, because most of the participants in this study were aged between 65 and 80 years old. Therefore, very old people aged more than 80 years old were underrepresented. Future studies using large samples with sufficient representation of different age groups of older people could analyze the invariance of the STM-B related to age.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt would be interesting to deeply check the relationships between self-transcendence and sociodemographical and personality variables, as well as the ways in which these variables could mediate the relationship between self-transcendence, meaning in life, satisfaction with life, resilient coping, stress, and depression.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn order to explore more accurately the relationships between self-transcendence and both stress and depression, they might be analyzed using samples composed by participants with/without anxiety and depression and statistical analyses other than correlation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinally, it would be interesting to analyze the mediator role of meaning in life, coping strategies, and social support network, among other variables, between self-transcendence, stress, and depression, as well as other variables such as anxiety, social isolation, etc.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e "},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data that support the findings of this study are available from the author upon reasonable request and with the permission of the University of ANONYMIZED.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinancial interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbreu, T., Ara\u0026uacute;jo, L., \u0026amp; Ribeiro, O. 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Springer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrică, A., Golu, F., Sava, N. I., Licu, M., Zanfirescu, Ș. A., Adam, R., \u0026amp; David, I. (2024). Resilience and successful aging: A systematic review and meta-analysis. \u003cem\u003eActa Psychologica, 248\u003c/em\u003e, 104357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104357 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUsta, E., \u0026amp; Bayram, S. (2021). Determination of Factors Affecting Self‑Transcendence and Meaning in Life Among the Elderly Receiving Institutional Care. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Religion and Health, 60\u003c/em\u003e, 2024-2036. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01165-7 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVillar, F., Triad\u0026oacute;, C., Celdran, M., \u0026amp; Sol\u0026eacute;, C. (2010). Measuring well-being among Spanish older adults: Development of a simplified version of Ryff\u0026rsquo;s Scales of Psychological Well-being. \u003cem\u003ePsychological Reports, 107\u003c/em\u003e(1), 265-280. https://doi.org/10.2466/02.07.08.10.21.PR0.107.4.265-280\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWong, P. T. P. (2014). Viktor Frankl\u0026rsquo;s meaning-seeking model and positive psychology. In A. Batthyany \u0026amp; P. Russo-Netzer (Eds.), \u003cem\u003eMeaning in Positive and Existential Psychology \u003c/em\u003e(pp. 149-184). Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0308-5_10 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWong, P. T. P. (2016a). Self-Transcendence: A Paradoxical Way to Become Your Best. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Existential Psychology \u0026amp; Psychotherapy, 6\u003c/em\u003e(1). www.existentialpsychology.org\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWong, P. T. P. (2016b). Meaning-seeking, self-transcendence, and well-being. In A. Batthyany (Ed.), \u003cem\u003eLogotherapy and Existential Analysis: Proceedings of the Viktor Frankl Institute\u003c/em\u003e (Vol. 1; pp. 311-322). Springer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWong, P. T. P. (2016c, June). \u003cem\u003eSelf-Transcendence as the Path to Virtue, Happiness and Meaning\u003c/em\u003e [Paper presentation]. Research Working Group Meeting for Virtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life Project, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. http://www.drpaulwong.com/self-transcendence-path-virtue-happiness-meaning \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWong, P. T. P. (2021). The Frankl Cure for the 21st Century: Why Self-Transcendence is the Key to Mental Health and Flourishing. \u003cem\u003eThe International Forum for Logotherapy, 21\u003c/em\u003e(1), 33-50.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWong, P. T. P., Arslan, G., Bowers, V. L., Peacock, E. J., Kjell, O. N. E., Ivtzan, I., \u0026amp; Lomas, T. (2021a). Self-Transcendence as a Buffer Against COVID-19 Suffering: The Development and Validation of the Self-Transcendence Measure-B. \u003cem\u003eFrontiers in Psychology, 12\u003c/em\u003e, 648549. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648549 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWong, P. T. P., Ivtzan, I., Lomas, T., \u0026amp; Kjell, O. (2016). \u003cem\u003eSelf-Transcendence Measure\u003c/em\u003e. http://www.drpaulwong.com/self-transcendence-path-virtue-happiness-meaning \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWong, P. T. P., Page, D., \u0026amp; Cheung, T. C.-K. (2021b). A self-transcendence model of servant leadership. In D. van Dierendonck \u0026amp; K. Patterson (Eds.),\u003cem\u003e Practicing Servant Leadership: Developments in Implementation \u003c/em\u003e(pp. 1-25). Palgrave Macmillan.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorth, P., \u0026amp; Smith, M. D. (2021). Clearing the Pathways to Self-Transcendence. \u003cem\u003eFrontiers in Psychology, 12\u003c/em\u003e, 648381. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648381 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eXia, Y., \u0026amp; Yang, Y. (2019). RMSEA, CFI, and TLI in structural equation modeling with ordered categorical data: The story they tell depends on the estimation methods. \u003cem\u003eBehavioral Research, 51\u003c/em\u003e(1), 409-428. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-018-1055-2\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYesavage, J. A., \u0026amp; Sheikh, J. I. (1986). Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Recent evidence and development of a shorter version. \u003cem\u003eClinical Gerontologist, 5\u003c/em\u003e(1-2), 165-173.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Tables","content":"\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"4\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 1\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eParticipants\u0026rsquo; sociodemographic variables\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e183\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e55.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSeparated or divorced\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWidow\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUnmarried\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUnmarried, living with a partner\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAcademic level\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGraduate\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e119\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDiploma\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eProfessional training\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMaster\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDoctorate\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMonthly income (euros)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt; 1000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1001-1500\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1501-2000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2001-2500\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e124\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e37.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2501-3000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e74\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 34px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 37px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt; 3000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"4\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote. N\u003c/em\u003e = 333.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"9\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 2\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDescriptive statistics of the STM-B\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMin.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMax.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSkewness\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKurtosis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eItem-total corrected correlationship\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ev\u0026nbsp;if item dropped\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOverall sample\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.25 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.45 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.51\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 333\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.68\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.20 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.55 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.51\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.60 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.50 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.42\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.47 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.041 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.10 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.18 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.91\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.95 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.13 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.98 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.01 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.75 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.57 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.14 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.52 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.61\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.66 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.66 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B (v\u0026nbsp;= .85)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.59\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.87 (.13)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.31 (.27)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMen\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.18 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.46 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.54\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 142\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.31 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.42 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.66 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.65 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.24 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.22 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.02 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.06 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.94\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.00 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.07 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.88\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.19 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.50 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.51\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.56 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.84 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.92\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.95 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.02 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.40 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.65 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B (v\u0026nbsp;= .85)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.38\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.82 (.20)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.30 (.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWomen\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.30\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.31 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.45 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.49\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e = 191\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.12 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.63 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.49\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.56 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.46 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.67 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.92 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.94\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.17 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.41 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.92 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.18 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.86 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.22 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.82\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.91 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.28 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.64\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.82\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.31 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.12 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.83\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-1.90 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.82 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.84\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSTM-B (v\u0026nbsp;= .85)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 4px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 5px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-.91 (.18)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.34 (.35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"9\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 90px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote.\u003c/em\u003e In parenthesis, the standard error.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv align=\"center\"\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"7\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 3\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTest of invariance across gender for the STM-B\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eInvariance\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSB\u003c/em\u003e\u0026chi;2 (\u003cem\u003edf\u003c/em\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCFI\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 26px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRMSEA [90% CI]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026Delta;\u003cem\u003eSB\u003c/em\u003e\u0026chi;2 (\u0026Delta;\u003cem\u003edf\u003c/em\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026Delta;CFI\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026Delta;RMSEA\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBaseline men\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e43.87 (35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.994\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.042 [.000, .078]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBaseline women\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e62.11 (35)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.986\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.064 [.037, .089]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eConfigural\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e105.98 (70)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.989\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.056 [.032, .076]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMetric\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e121.49 (79)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.987\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.057 [.036, .076]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15.51 (9)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eScalar\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e161.09 (98)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.981\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.062 [.045, .079]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.60 (19)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.006\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.005\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eStrict\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e161.09 (98)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.981\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.062 [.045, .079]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.00 (0)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eStructural\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e167.27 (100)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.980\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.064 [.046, .080]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.18 (2)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 7px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"7\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote\u003c/em\u003e.\u0026nbsp;Values \u0026le; .01 on \u0026Delta;CFI and an increase \u0026lt; .015 on the \u0026Delta;RMSEA indicate invariance. Both the CFI and RMSEA indices have been calculated to three decimal places to more accurately check for differences between nested models.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"7\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 4\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMeans and standard deviations in the STM-B in the marital status, academic level, and monthly income variables\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"bottom\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003en\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSE\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCoefficient of variation\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWidow\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e183\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSeparated, divorced\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.61\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUnmarried\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.76\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUnmarried living with my partner\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28.62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.73\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAcademic level\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrimary\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33.88\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDoctorate\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMaster\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.05\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDiploma\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.49\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGraduate\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e119\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eProfessional training\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMonthly income\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2001-2500\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e124\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.90\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1001-1500\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.82\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2501-3000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e74\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.77\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt; 1000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.53\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1501-2000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.51\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 31px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt; 3000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 10px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 9px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 8px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.54\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 6px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"7\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 100px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote\u003c/em\u003e. The groups of the variables were ordered in descending mean score in the STM-B.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"University of Valencia","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Self-transcendence, logotherapy, older people, Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief, psychometric properties","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6531011/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6531011/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eSelf-transcendence can be defined as what goes beyond one’s limitations and difficulties in life in order to serve or connect with something greater. Self-transcendence is related to both mental and physical health in older people, so it is important to have instruments to measure it properly. This study analyzes the psychometric properties of Wong’s \u003cem\u003eSelf-Transcendence Measure-Brief\u003c/em\u003e (STM-B) in 333 Spanish older people (142 men and 191 women age-ranged from 65 to 93 years, \u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e = 70.53, \u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e = 4.60). The STM-B, \u003cem\u003eMeaning in Life Questionnaire\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBrief Resilient Coping Scale\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSatisfaction With Life Scale\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eScales of Psychological Well-Being-Stress Subscale\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eGeriactic Depression Scale-15 Items\u003c/em\u003e were used. The STM-B showed (1) an acceptable internal consistency, (3) an adequate model-data fit, (4) metric, scalar, strict, and structural invariance across gender groups, (5) not significant gender-related differences in self-transcendence, (6) positive, significant correlationships with presence of/search for meaning, resilient coping, and satisfaction with life, while negative, not significant correlationships with both stress and depression, and (7) not significant differences related to marital status, academic level, and income. The STM-B is a reliable and valid scale for assessing self-transcendence in older people.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Psychometric Properties of Wong’s Self-Transcendence Measure-Brief Among Spanish Older People","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-04-28 07:31:43","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6531011/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"9dd1c30b-5e8a-4981-b92a-f9ef169a8647","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 28th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":47704491,"name":"Psychology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-04-28T07:31:43+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-04-28 07:31:43","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6531011","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6531011","identity":"rs-6531011","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}