Intrinsic and Extrinsic Religious Orientation Among the Very Old

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test a shortened version of the Swedish Religious Orientation Scale's (SROS) appropriateness, feasibility, and ability to distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation among very old people. The participants (n = 43) were Lutheran believers aged ≥85 years. They scored high on both the intrinsic and extrinsic sub-scales and a cluster analysis revealed three clusters of items, one measuring intrinsic religious orientation and two measuring extrinsic religious orientation. The shortened version of the SROS appears appropriate for distinguishing between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation among very old people.

Keywords:

• religious orientation
• Swedish Religious Orientation Scale
• SROS
• psychometric test
• very old people
• Umeå 85+ study

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the European Union Bothnia Atlantica Program. We are grateful to Proper English for reviewing the language.