Assessment of Beliefs and Behaviors in Coping – Pilot Version

Abstract

The Assessment of Beliefs and Behaviors in Coping (ABC) is a psychological instrument developed to evaluate how individuals perceive and utilize spirituality and organized religion in managing life demands and stress. The Pilot Version, developed initially by Shah, Douglas, and McCarthy (2010), served as the foundational structure for the finalized scale validated in 2012. This instrument moves beyond simple religious affiliation measures by assessing specific beliefs about the efficacy of religious practices (e.g., prayer, community) and the frequency of personal reliance on these methods for coping.

The scale structure reflects a comprehensive approach to religious coping, differentiating between organizational support (structure, community, values) and intrinsic spiritual support (personal relationship with a higher power, comfort). The transition from the pilot to the final version involved refining the response format and expanding the scope to include both beliefs about the general helpfulness of religious coping and the individual’s frequency of using these resources.

Keywords

Coping, Stress Management, Religion, Spirituality, Psychological Assessment, Beliefs, Behaviors, Religious Practices, Higher Power, Social Support.

Authors

M. M. Shah, R. P. Douglas, C. J. McCarthy, Monique Shah Kulkarni.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the ABC scale, including the pilot version, is to quantify the extent to which individuals perceive and employ religious and spiritual resources as effective strategies for stress management and dealing with life challenges. It aims to provide researchers with a nuanced tool to examine the functional role of faith in psychological adjustment, moving beyond simple quantitative measures of adherence.

The instrument is designed to distinguish between the cognitive component—the belief in the general helpfulness of religious and spiritual practices for others—and the behavioral component—the personal frequency of relying upon these practices for oneself. This differentiation allows for a deeper understanding of how beliefs translate into active coping behaviors.

Construct

The underlying construct measured by the Assessment of Beliefs and Behaviors in Coping is Religious and Spiritual Coping, conceptualized as a multidimensional process. The items reflect two primary, empirically supported dimensions of religious engagement relevant to psychological well-being: organizational/extrinsic support and intrinsic/personal spiritual support.

The organizational dimension includes measurable benefits derived from participation in organized religion, such as structure, community, social networking, and a system of values. The intrinsic dimension focuses on the personal, inner experience, specifically the comfort, acceptance, and guidance derived from a relationship with a higher power.

Validity

The formal validation process, detailed in the doctoral dissertation by Kulkarni (2012), established the construct validity of the final instrument through rigorous psychometric testing. Initial content validity was ensured by deriving items directly from existing literature on spiritual and religious coping and through expert review of item relevance and clarity. Subsequent validation procedures likely included correlating ABC scores with established measures of general coping, religious commitment, and psychological distress to confirm its theoretical alignment and ability to differentiate between constructs.

Reliability

The reliability of the ABC scale was assessed primarily through measures of internal consistency. High internal consistency, typically measured using Cronbach’s alpha, indicates that the items within each derived factor consistently measure the same aspect of religious or spiritual coping behavior or belief. The development process, beginning with the pilot version, was focused on item refinement to ensure optimal reliability across the identified subscales.

Factor Analysis

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) were integral to the development and validation of the final ABC scale, confirming the multidimensional structure suggested by the item content. The analysis typically separates the items into distinct factors, generally reflecting the two core components observed across the scale versions:

• Organizational/Extrinsic Coping: Items relating to the structured, communal, and ritualistic elements provided by organized religion (e.g., routine, social network, guidance).
• Intrinsic/Spiritual Coping: Items relating to the deeply personal and emotional benefits derived from a relationship with a higher power (e.g., comfort, unconditional acceptance, sense of meaning).

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale

Format: Likert-type scales (5-point for pilot version agreement; 4-point for final version belief about others; 5-point for final version self-reliance frequency)

Language Available: English (Original development language)

Population Group: General adult population engaged in coping research.

Age Group: Adults (College students and general community members were typically used in the validation phases).

Population Details: Developed and validated using samples relevant to psychological research in the US, particularly focusing on individuals who use religious or spiritual methods for coping with life demands.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their degree of agreement (belief system) or frequency of reliance (behavioral utilization) regarding various religious and spiritual factors in relation to managing their personal stress.

Keywords

Religious coping, Spiritual beliefs, Stress, Psychological measurement, Psychometrics, Organized religion, Higher power, Community support, Self-efficacy.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not Provided

Affiliation Email addresses: Not Provided

Correspondence Address: Not Provided

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The pilot version of the scale was presented around 2010 (Shah, Douglas, & McCarthy). The full development and validation were completed in 2012 (Kulkarni). The scale is publicly accessible as part of the doctoral dissertation submitted to The University of Texas at Austin. Researchers interested in using the instrument should consult the primary author (Monique Shah Kulkarni) for specific usage permissions.

Test Year: Pilot Version (2010); Final Validation (2012)

Reference’s

Kulkarni, Monique Shah. (2012). Initial Development and Validation of the Assessment of Beliefs and Behaviors in Coping (ABC). Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The University of Texas at Austin August 2012. The original dissertation is available online here: http://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/ETD-UT-2012-08-6020

Shah, M. M., Douglas, R. P., Maheshwari, D., & McCarthy, C. J. (2008, August 17). Assessing the role of religion and spirituality in coping with life demands. Poster presented at Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Boston, MA.

Items of the Assessment of Beliefs and Behaviors in Coping – Pilot Version

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Assessment of Beliefs and Behaviors in Coping – Pilot Version

The following items ask about your experiences with religion and spirituality in coping with stress. Please rate the degree to which you agree/disagree with each one based on your personal belief system.

1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neutral, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree

1. In my experience, organized religion provides structure to my life that helps me cope with stress.
2. In my experience, the practices (e.g., prayer, attending ceremonies) associated with organized religion helps me cope with life.
3. In my experience, the daily routine established by organized religion helps in coping with stress.
4. In my experience, rituals associated with organized religion help me cope with stress.
5. In my experience, the obligations associated with organized religion help in coping with stress.
6. In my experience, the support network offered by organized religion helps in coping with stress.
7. In my experience, the sense of community provided by organized religion helps in coping with stress.
8. In my experience, being around others with similar beliefs helps in coping with stress.
9. In my experience, having a religious community to belong to helps in coping with stress.
10. In my experience, the system of values taught by organized religion helps make life less stressful.
11. In my experience, the guidance offered by organized religion helps me cope with the demands of life.
12. In my experience, having religious teachings helps reduce stress in my life.
13. In my experience, my personal relationship with a higher power helps reduce stress in my life.
14. In my experience, knowing that I have a personal relationship with a higher power helps me cope with stress.
15. In my experience, my relationship with a higher power is a source of comfort that reduces stress in my life.
16. In my experience, the unconditional acceptance offered by my relationship with a higher power helps me cope with stress.