Dimensions of Religiosity Scale

Abstract

The Dimensions of Religiosity (DOR) Scale is a psychometric instrument designed to operationalize a comprehensive conceptual model of religious involvement. This model posits that religiosity can be understood through three core components—knowing (cognition), feeling (affect), and doing (behavior)—each expressed through personal and institutional modes. While initially conceptualized as six dimensions, subsequent psychometric analyses identified seven distinct subscales.

These seven subscales include Traditional Orthodoxy, Particularistic Orthodoxy, Spiritual Commitment, Church Commitment, Religious Behavior, Christian Behavior, and Home Religious Observances. The final instrument consists of 31 items, primarily utilizing five-point Likert scales, although some items require quantitative reports of involvement frequency. Due to the inclusion of content highly specific to the doctrine and practices of the Mormon Church (LDS), the general utility of the DOR Scale is limited for non-Mormon populations.

Keywords

Dimensions of Religiosity Scale, DOR, Religiosity, Spiritual Commitment, Church Commitment, Orthodoxy, Religious Behavior, Mormon Church, Latter-day Saints, Psychometrics.

Authors

Cornwall, M., Albrecht, S.L., Cunningham, P.H., & Pitcher, B.L.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Dimensions of Religiosity (DOR) Scale was to empirically test and operationalize a new conceptual model of religious involvement. This model sought to move beyond unidimensional measures by systematically cross-classifying the components of religiosity (cognition, affect, behavior) with the modes of involvement (personal, institutional).

Additionally, the scale aimed to provide a detailed, multi-faceted measure of religious life particularly suited for research involving members of the Mormon Church, given the inclusion of items addressing specific doctrines and expectations regarding family life and institutional participation.

Construct

The DOR Scale measures Religiosity as a complex construct comprising three fundamental components: Knowing (Cognition), which involves beliefs and acceptance of doctrine; Feeling (Affect), which relates to commitment and spiritual experience; and Doing (Behavior), which encompasses religious practices and participation. The interaction of these components with two modes of religious involvement—the personal mode and the institutional mode—yields six theoretical dimensions.

The empirical structure expanded upon this framework, ultimately identifying seven subscales that capture various facets of religious life: Traditional Orthodoxy (Christian theology beliefs), Particularistic Orthodoxy (Mormon-specific doctrines), Spiritual Commitment (personal relationship with God), Church Commitment (institutional loyalty), Religious Behavior, Christian Behavior (ethical conduct), and Home Religious Observances (familial practices).

Validity

Validity evidence for the DOR Scale was primarily established through internal structural analysis. A principle components factor analysis utilizing varimax rotation was performed on the full set of items. This initial analysis resulted in the extraction of five factors with eigenvalues greater than one, which were broadly identified as a belief factor, two commitment factors, and two behavior factors.

Subsequent factor analyses were conducted on subsets of the items to refine the structure. Based on the totality of these factor analysis results, the final 31 items were organized into the seven specific subscales. The original study did not provide additional forms of validity data, such as criterion or convergent validity, beyond the structural findings.

Reliability

The reliability of the DOR Scale was assessed through estimates of internal consistency. These estimates were calculated using coefficient alpha based on a large sample pool of over 1,400 individuals, comprising both active and inactive members of the Mormon Church.

The coefficient alphas for the final seven scales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency, indicating that the items within each subscale reliably measure the intended underlying construct. The reported alpha values are: Traditional Orthodoxy (.76), Particularistic Orthodoxy (.92), Spiritual Commitment (.88), Church Commitment (.80), Religious Behavior (.83), Christian Behavior (.75), and Home Religious Observance (.87).

Factor Analysis

The structural integrity of the DOR Scale was investigated using principle components factor analysis with varimax rotation. This procedure aimed to confirm the hypothesized underlying dimensions of religiosity.

The analysis initially yielded five factors with eigenvalues exceeding unity: a comprehensive belief factor, two distinct commitment factors, and two behavior factors. Although the conceptual model proposed six dimensions, the empirical results led to the creation of seven final subscales, incorporating the strong emergence of familial religious behavior as a separate measurable dimension.

Instrument

Test Type: Paper and pencil measure (Self-report)

Format: The scale comprises 31 items across seven subscales. Items in the first six categories primarily use five-point Likert scales (ranging from agreement to frequency/extent). Participation items require quantitative reports of involvement.

Language Available: English (Original development language)

Population Group: Religious individuals, specifically tailored for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).

Age Group: Adults (Implied)

Population Details: Sample drawn from active and inactive members of the Mormon Church (N > 1400).

Test Methodology: The measure is quick to complete, typically requiring less than 15 minutes. Subscales are scored by calculating the mean response of the constituent items.

Keywords

Psychological scale, Religious doctrine, Cognitive religiosity, Affective religiosity, Behavioral religiosity, Internal consistency, Factor structure, LDS Church, Likert scales, Allport and Ross.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Not reported in source)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Not reported in source)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Not reported in source)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1986

Permissions and Fee: Information regarding current permissions and fees is not provided in the original source material. Researchers should contact the primary authors or the publishing journal, Review of Religious Research, for usage rights.

Reference’s

Cornwall, M., Albrecht, S.L., Cunningham, P.H., & Pitcher, B.L. (1986). The dimensions of religiosity: A conceptual model with an empirical test. Review of Religious Research, 27, 226-244.

Cornwall, M. (1989). The determinants of religious behavior: A theoretical model and empirical test. Social Forces, 68, 572-592.

Allport, G. W. & Ross, J. M. (1967). Personal religious orientation and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 432-433.

Items of the DIMENSIONS OF RELIGIOSITY SCALE

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

The following are the final 31 items included in the Dimensions of Religiosity Scale. Items are scored on one of three scales. The scales were as follows:

• I = not at all 2 = slightly 3 = somewhat 4 = moderately 5 = exactly
• I = strongly disagree 2 = disagree 3 = not sure 4 = agree 5 = strongly agree
• I = never 2 = a few times a year 3 = monthly 4 = a few times a month 5 = weekly 6 = a few times a week 7 = daily

The letters next to the items indicate which response scale was used for that item. (Traditional Orthodoxy)

1. I believe in the divinity of Christ. (A)
2. I have no doubts that God lives and is real. (A)
3. There is life after death. (B)
4. The Bible is the word of God. (B)
5. Satan actually exists. (B)(Particularistic Orthodoxy)
6. The president of the LOS Church is a prophet of God. (B)
7. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. (B)
8. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church on earth. (B)
9. Joseph Smith actually saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. (B)(Spiritual Commitment)
10. My relationship with the Lord is an important part of my life. (A)
11. The Holy Ghost is an important influence in my life. (A)
12. I love God with all my heart. (A)
13. Without religious faith the rest of my life would not have much meaning. (A)
14. I am willing to do whatever the Lord wants me to do. (A)(Church Commitment)
15. Some doctrines of the LOS Church are hard for me to accept. (A) (reverse scored)
16. I don’t really care about the LOS Church. (A) (reverse scored)
17. I do not accept some of the standards of the LOS Church. (A) (reverse scored)
18. The LOS Church puts too many restrictions on its members. (A) (reverse scored)
19. Church programs and activities are an important part of my life. (A)(Religious Behavior)
20. I encourage others to believe in Christ. (A)
21. I seek God’s guidance when making important decisions in my life. (A)
22. I admit my sins to God and pray for forgiveness. (A)
23. How often do you pray? (C)(Christian Behavior)
24. I try to carry my religion over in to all my other dealings in life. (A)
25. I live a Christian life. (A)
26. I share what I have with the poor. (A)
27. I forgive others. (A)(Home Religious Observances)
28. How often do you have family prayer? (C)
29. How often do you have family religious discussions? (C)
30. How often do you read the Bible or other scripture? (C)
31. How often do you have family discussions about right or wrong? (C)