Spiritual and Religious Dimensions Scale: Development and psychometric analysis

Abstract

Traditional Christian religiosity, New Age spirituality, and unaffiliated contemporary spirituality were explored in the present study through the development and use of the Spiritual and Religious Dimensions Scale (SRDS). It was hypothesised that a number of differences between adherents of traditional Christianity and New Age/unaffiliated contemporary spirituality, would be found. Two groups of participants were used, namely 96 bookshop patrons, and 84 undergraduate psychology students. The SRDS was found to have good internal reliability, and a clear factor structure. Five factors emerged: Christian Religiosity; Alternative Spirituality; Discomfort; Extrinsic Religiosity; and Paranormal Beliefs. Items representing New Age spirituality and unaffiliated spirituality were found within a single factor, reflecting overlap of belief systems. It was concluded that the SRDS is a useful measure for distinguishing between people who adhere to traditional Christianity, and those who adopt the principles of New Age/unaffiliated contemporary spirituality.