Psychometric Examination of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality Among College Students

Abstract

Resurgent interest in the relations between religiousness/spirituality (R/S) and health is evident in the scientific literature but much of the research fails to capture the proposed multidimensional nature of R/S. This problematic situation is compounded by the existence of a plethora of measures mostly lacking substantial empirical or even theoretical support. The Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) was developed to address measurement confusion by providing a standard instrument for researchers investigating the dimensions of R/S relevant to health. Psychometric properties and factor structure of the BMMRS were investigated in a sample of 374 college students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested a seven-factor structure for the BMMRS. Preliminary construct validity for the instrument was demonstrated. These findings generally support those of previous studies and suggest that the modified BMMRS is a viable multifactor measure of R/S for use with young adults.

Notes

^aComplete item wording is presented in Table 1.

^bEigenvalue = 14.31; percentage of variance = 42.08.

^cEigenvalue = 2.22; percent of variance = 6.53.

^dEigenvalue = 2.04; percent of variance = 6.00.

^eEigenvalue = 1.66; percent of variance = 4.89.

^fEigenvalue = 1.29; percent of variance = 3.78.

^gEigenvalue = 1.09; percent of variance = 3.19.

^hEigenvalue = 1.00; percent of variance = 2.95.