Psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Belief into Action Scale

ABSTRACT

The Belief into Action Scale (BIAC) is a comprehensive measure of religious involvement intended for monotheistic religious traditions. We examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the BIAC for administration in Muslim populations. A convenience sample of Arabic-speaking Muslims completed an online survey including the 10-item Arabic BIAC and other psychosocial and religious measures. Psychometric properties of the BIAC were examined, including internal reliability, test–retest reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and factor analytic validity. Two hundred and eleven participants completed the BIAC (100% Muslim, average age 31.9, 54% male). The average score was 47.6 (SD = 15.7). Cronbach alpha was .80 (95% CI .76–.84) and intra-class correlation coefficient between two administrations (n = 30) was .88 (95% CI .77–.94). Convergent validity was demonstrated by high correlations between the BIAC and existing religiosity scales (r = .52–.58); divergent validity by weak correlations with psychosocial measures (.09–.21); construct validity by high correlations between individual items and total scale score (r’s .53–.72); factor analytic validity by a single factor that explained 81.8% of the scale’s variance and predictive validity by small correlations with psychosocial outcomes in expected directions. The Arabic BIAC is a reliable and valid scale for assessing religious involvement in Muslim Arabic-speaking populations.

KEYWORDS:

• Religion
• Islam
• Muslim
• Arabic
• measurement
• psychometrics
• spirituality

Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge those who helped to translate the Arabic version of BIAC, and the Holy Qur'an Center at Safwa city for help in disseminating the survey.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Psychology at Indiana State University, the Al Safa charitable association, the Shadhaa account at telegram, and the Saudi Arabia Culture mission.