Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries (January 11 - 14, 2007)

Spirituality and religion are increasingly being conceptualizing as unique, but overlapping, constructs. This distinction has resulted in growing interest in spirituality measures. While some new spirituality measures have been created, many of these instruments can be faulted on two grounds: 1) they use terms (e.g., God) that limit their validity with non-theistic populations and 2) they fail to build upon pre-existing scientific work. To address these two concerns, this study develops an inclusive measure of spirituality based Allport and Ross' (1967) widely used conceptual work (Hill & Hood, 1999). Consistent with prior measurement research (Hill & Hood, 1999), a convenience sample of university students (N = 172) was used to develop the measure. The survey instrument included items based upon Allport and Ross' (1967) measure of intrinsic religion, demographic items, and a number of measures to test convergent, divergent, and criterion-related validity. Data screening was conducted with Prelis, variables were transformed to meet normality assumptions, and cases with missing values were imputed with values taken from other cases with similar response patterns. Analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), in which spirituality functioned as a latent variable and six indicators of spirituality functioned as the observed variables. The fit statistics indicated that the model fit the data (2, p =.092; RMSEA = .062; CFI = .99; IFI = .99; AGFI, .92). Similarly, an analysis of the residuals suggested a good fit. More specifically, an examination of the stem-and-leaf plot revealed a symmetrical distribution with most of the residuals clustered around the zero point with relatively few points in the tails. Satisfactory validity coefficients, measurement error, and reliability coefficients were obtained for each of the six observed variables in the model. Using the Cronbach's Alpha measure of internal consistency, a coefficient of .96 was obtained for the six-item scale. Measures of convergent, divergent, and criterion-related validity performed as theorized. This new scale will be of interest to practitioners and researchers interested measuring spirituality among theistic and non-theistic respondents, regardless of whether respondents express their spirituality within, or outside of, religious frameworks. Consistent with Allport and Ross' (1967) theorizing, the measure taps the degree to which spirituality functions as motivating influence, or the degree to which spirituality functions as a “master motive” that informs and directs other dimensions of one's life. Put differently, the measure assesses the degree to which individuals are motivated by their spirituality, expressed on a scale with a theoretical range of zero to ten. A score of zero represents an individual for whom spirituality is not operative in their life as a motivating factor. Conversely, a score of ten denotes a person who is motivated by their spirituality to the highest degree possible.

References

Allport, G. W., & Ross, M. J. (1967). Personal religious orientation and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5(4), 432-443. Hill, P. C., & Hood, R. W. (Editors). (1999). Measures of religiosity. Birmingham, Ala: Religious Education Press.