Structural Organization of an Individual’s Life Strategy: New Empirical Evidence on a Multilevel System

Abstract

The aim of the study is to empirically identify the level-based structure of an individual’s life strategy through the analysis of dispositional, meaning-related, and ontological characteristics. The research employed the BFI‑2 inventory, the Meaning-in-Life test, and mindful presence scales. The statistical processing of the data was carried out using hierarchical cluster analysis, which made it possible to identify the structure of mutually related indicator groups and determine the pattern of their aggregation into the component levels of an individual’s life strategy. The results revealed the formation of three stable clusters corresponding to the theoretically proposed levels of life strategy. The dispositional‑regulatory level includes personality traits and the locus of control–Self; the meaning-related level comprises life goals, evaluation of the life process, the locus of control–Life, and deautomatization; the ontological level is represented by indicators of attentional distribution. The additionally identified level structure demonstrates a coherent grouping of indicators that reflect various facets of life-related behavior, allowing the model to be interpreted as an integrated system of interrelated characteristics. The identified indicator of life effectiveness functions as an integrative component reflecting the coherence of all levels. The findings refine the structural organization of an individual’s life strategy and confirm its multilevel nature. The practical significance of the study lies in the potential application of the results in the development of diagnostic tools and psychological support programs aimed at fostering personal agency and a conscious life path.