The Religious Schema Scale: Construction and Initial Validation of a Quantitative Measure for Religious Styles

Abstract

This article presents the Religious Schema Scale (RSS). Its conceptual background is the model of religious styles. After a conceptual discussion of the relation between religious styles and religious schemata, the steps of scale construction are reported. Based on 822 responses from research participants in the United States and Germany to a preliminary 78-item version, we used construct-oriented iterative and factor-analytic procedures for reducing the RSS to a 15-item version that consists of three 5-item subscales with acceptable reliabilities. Confirmatory factor analysis indicates that the RSS has a robust 3-factor structure, which is cross-culturally valid in both the United States and Germany. We report correlations of the RSS with the Big Five, Psychological Well-Being, Religious Fundamentalism, and Right-Wing Authoritarianism. We also present predictive characteristics of the RSS in regard to Fowler's stages of faith. Finally, we report results on the incremental validity of the RSS.

Notes

¹A schema consists of two components, two corresponding acts of interpretation: Challenging experiences such as personal, social, or ecological threat and catastrophe call for an interpretation of hope and for coming to terms with the catastrophe. This is accomplished by the first component of a schema that gives meaning to these experiences (epistemological transformation) and opens the perspective on a positive experience. The other component of the schema starts with the positive experience and seeks out an interpretation that identifies potential dangers, the sources for the challenging experience, and thus motivates action (praxeological transformation). This understanding of “schema” corresponds to Schäfer's (2003, in press) model of “praxeological squares,” which he has developed with reference to Greimas's (1987) semiotic square.

²Thus, models of identity as network such as Schäfer's (2005) parallel our model of religious schemata, which network together in the formation of religious styles.

³Our initial construction of the 78 items has some commonality with Clore's (1997) construction of a Faith Scale and consists of sets of style-specific items; the sets are designed to assess certain aspects of faith. Although Clore was rather selective, compared with Fowler's aspect structure, we have expanded the number of aspects and items and added three new item sets for the image of God and three new item sets for interpersonal relations. The result was the initial 78-item measure that has been included in the questionnaire.

*Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Note. ^aN = 254.

^bN = 566.

^cN = 255.

^dN = 567.

^eN = 252;

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

Note. ^a N = 60.

^bN = 44.

^cN = 104;

*p < .05.

**p < .01.