A measure of spiritual sensitivity for children

Abstract

Spirituality is an essential influence in a child’s development. However, an age-appropriate measure of child’s spiritual sensitivity is not currently available in the literature. This paper describes the development of a measure of children’s spiritual sensitivity, the Spiritual Sensitivity Scale for Children (SSSC). Statistical analyses identified two semantically meaningful and psychometrically reliable clusters, titled Outward Focus and Inward Reflective Focus. Significant relationships were also found between spiritual sensitivity, self-esteem and hopefulness. These findings suggested that the SSSC provides a robust indication of the strength of a child’s spirituality as well as a useful companion measure alongside other measures of mental and emotional well-being.

Keyword:

• measurement
• childhood spirituality
• affect