Approaching Worldview Structure with Ultimate Meanings Technique

A person's worldview as a system of subjective generalizations about reality is an important though nearly neglected focus of study. The ultimate meanings technique (UMT) elaborated by the author during the last decade is presented as a research and clinical instrument that makes it possible to reconstruct the system of a person's beliefs about the goals and meanings of human life. Structural and content analytical indices applicable to UMT, along with qualitative phenomenological analysis, make it a helpful research instrument. The results of different age and clinical groups (normal, mentally deficient, alcoholic, and somatically troubled adults and normal and delinquent adolescents) are discussed.