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01-03-2011 | Original Paper

A Stairway to Heaven? Structure of the Religious Involvement Inventory and Spiritual Well-Being Scale

Authors: Alan J. Gow, Roger Watson, Martha Whiteman, Ian J. Deary

Published in: Journal of Religion and Health | Issue 1/2011

Abstract

Being religious or having spiritual beliefs has been linked to improved health and well-being in several empirical studies. Potential underlying mechanisms can be suggested by psychometrically reliable and valid indices. Two self-report measures of religiosity/spirituality were completed by a cohort of older adults: the Religious Involvement Inventory and the Spiritual Well-being Scale. Both were analyzed using principal components analysis and the Mokken scaling procedure. The latter technique examines whether items can be described as having a hierarchical structure. The results across techniques were comparable and hierarchical structures were discovered in the scales. Analysis of the hierarchy in the RII items suggested the latent trait assesses the extent to which an individual’s belief in God influences their life. Examining scales with a range of psychometric techniques may give a better indication of the latent construct being assessed, particularly the hierarchies within these which may be of interest to those investigating religiosity-health associations.

Note that this totals 34 items, however, as one item is shared by both factors the actual number of items completed is 33.

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Title: A Stairway to Heaven? Structure of the Religious Involvement Inventory and Spiritual Well-Being Scale
Authors: Alan J. Gow
Roger Watson
Martha Whiteman
Ian J. Deary
Publication date: 01-03-2011
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Religion and Health / Issue 1/2011
Print ISSN: 0022-4197
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010-9375-2

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A Stairway to Heaven? Structure of the Religious Involvement Inventory and Spiritual Well-Being Scale

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