Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES)

Abstract

The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) is a widely recognized 16-item self-report instrument developed by Lia G. Underwood and Judith Teresi in 2002. It is designed to measure the frequency and intensity of common, ordinary aspects of spiritual experience in daily life, focusing on subjective awareness of the transcendent rather than specific religious activities or doctrines. The DSES has been extensively used in health research to explore the impact of spirituality on mental and physical well-being, often demonstrating high reliability and strong construct validity.

Keywords

Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, DSES, spiritual experience, religiosity, psychological assessment, transcendent connection, health psychology, Lia G. Underwood.

Authors

Lia G. Underwood, Judith Teresi.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) is to provide a standardized, non-denominational measure of the frequency of ordinary spiritual experiences. This focus allows researchers to capture the subjective, internal dimension of spirituality as it manifests in an individual’s everyday routines, distinguishing it from measures of institutional or organizational religiosity.

The scale was explicitly designed to be inclusive and applicable across diverse populations, including those who identify as spiritual but not conventionally religious. Its robust nature makes it particularly valuable in behavioral medicine and public health studies, where understanding the role of spiritual resources in coping, resilience, and overall health outcomes is crucial.

Construct

The DSES measures the construct of Daily Spiritual Experience, which refers to the perceived frequency of subjective encounters with the sacred or transcendent in ordinary life. This construct is multifaceted, encompassing feelings of connection, guidance, reverence, and peace derived from a spiritual source, often referred to as God or a Higher Power.

The scale operationalizes spirituality as a dynamic, frequently occurring phenomenon. The items capture essential dimensions such as the perceived presence and love of God, the feeling of deep inner peace or harmony, being spiritually touched by creation, and expressing selfless caring and gratitude towards others.

Validity

Preliminary construct validity for the DSES was established during its development (Underwood & Teresi, 2002) using health-related data. Subsequent research consistently supports its validity, showing expected correlations with related psychological variables.

The DSES typically correlates positively with established measures of positive psychological functioning, such as life satisfaction, hope, and positive affect, while showing inverse correlations with indicators of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression. Its non-denominational language has allowed for successful cross-cultural validation, confirming that it measures a core aspect of human spiritual experience that is not limited to specific religious traditions.

Reliability

The DSES demonstrates excellent internal reliability. Across numerous studies conducted globally and across various demographic groups, the 15-item core scale consistently yields high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, often exceeding 0.90.

This high level of reliability indicates strong internal consistency, confirming that the items cohesively measure the single, underlying spiritual experience construct. The scale is therefore considered a highly dependable instrument for quantitative measurement in social and health sciences.

Factor Analysis

The original development utilized an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), which informed the structure of the scale. Although the DSES is often utilized as a unidimensional scale, aggregating the first 15 items into a single score due to high internal consistency, factor analyses have sometimes suggested underlying components.

While some studies support a single, dominant factor representing general daily spiritual experience, others suggest a distinction between factors, such as experiences related to the presence and guidance of God versus experiences related to connection, reverence, and peace. Regardless of the nuanced factor structure, the strong aggregate score reliability supports the common practice of using the total score (Items 1–15) in research.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire / Psychometric Scale

Format: 16 items, utilizing Likert-type frequency scales.

Language Available: English (Original), widely translated into numerous languages globally.

Population Group: General population; extensively used in health, aging, and psychological research.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 18+).

Population Details: Developed with diverse samples, including older adults participating in large-scale health studies (e.g., those affiliated with the National Institute on Aging).

Test Methodology: Self-administered survey. Items 1-15 are scored on a 6-point frequency scale (1=Many Times a Day to 6=Never or Almost Never). Item 16 is scored separately on a 4-point closeness scale. The first 15 items are typically summed to create a continuous total score, with higher scores reflecting greater frequency of spiritual experience.

Keywords

Spiritual measurement, health psychology, multidimensional measurement, Fetzer Institute, self-report, intrinsic spirituality, transcendence, coping mechanisms, psychology of religion.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Lia G. Underwood (Researchers are advised to consult the official DSES website for the most current contact information).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The DSES was formally published in 2002. The scale is frequently made available for use in non-commercial academic research. Researchers are strongly encouraged to visit Dr. Underwood’s official website for the most current information regarding permissions, usage fees (if applicable), and licensing requirements: http://www.dsescale.org/.

Reference’s

Underwood L. & Teresi J. (2002). The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale: Development, theoretical description, reliability, exploratory factor analysis, and preliminary construct validity using health related data. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24, 22-33.

Fetzer Institute/National Institute on Aging Working Group. (1999). Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality for Use in Health Research: A Report of the Fetzer Institute/National Institute on Aging Working Group. Available online at: http://fetzer.org/resources/multidimensional-measurement-religiousnessspirituality-use-health-research

The original PDF of the scale within the Self Report Measures for Love and Compassion Research booklet can be downloaded here: http://www.fetzer.org/sites/default/files/images/resources/attachment/2012-10-19/MultidimensionalBooklet.pdf

Additional information regarding scoring is available here: http://www.dsescale.org/OrdSpirExper.pdf

Items of the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES)

The following are the 16 items of the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES).

1. I feel God’s presence
2. I experience a connection all life
3. During worship‚ or at other times when connecting with God‚ I feel joy‚ which lifts me out of my daily concerns.
4. I find strength in my religion or spirituality
5. I find comfort in my religion or spirituality
6. I feel deep inner peace or harmony
7. I ask for God’s help in the midst of daily activities
8. I feel guided by God in the midst of daily activities
9. I feel God’s love for me directly
10. I feel God’s love for me through others
11. I am spiritually touched by the beauty of creation
12. I feel thankful for my blessings
13. I feel a selfless caring for others
14. I accept others even when they do things that I think are wrong
15. I desire to be closer to God or in un‎ion with Him
16. In general‚ how close to you feel to God?

Scoring Point Values:

Items 1-15:

• 1=Many Times a Day
• 2=Everyday
• 3=Most Days
• 4=Some Days
• 5=Once in a While
• 6=Never or Almost Never

Item 16:

• 1=Not Close at All
• 2=Somewhat Close
• 3=Very Close
• 4=As Close as Possible

Items 1-15 are typically aggregated to form a continuous full scale score. Item 16 is scored and analyzed separately.