AGE UNIVERSAL RELIGIOUS ORIENTATION SCALE

Abstract

The Age Universal Religious Orientation Scale (AUI-E) is a 20-item psychological measure developed by Gorsuch and Venable (1983) to assess two distinct dimensions of religious orientation: Intrinsic (I) and Extrinsic (E). This scale represents a significant modification and rewriting of the original Allport and Ross (1967) I-E Religious Orientation scale, specifically designed to be suitable for a wide demographic range, from adults to children as young as the fifth grade.

The scale consists of nine items measuring Intrinsic orientation and eleven items measuring Extrinsic orientation. Its primary purpose is to provide an instrument interchangeable with the Allport and Ross scale but requiring lower verbal ability, thereby enabling reliable measurement across different age groups. The items are primarily scored using a five-point Likert scale, with one item assessing church attendance frequency on a continuous scale.

Keywords

Religious orientation, Intrinsic and Extrinsic religious orientation, Allport and Ross, Gorsuch and Venable, psychometrics, scale development, age universal, Likert scale, personality.

Authors

Richard L. Gorsuch, G. D. Venable

Purpose

The fundamental purpose of the Age Universal Religious Orientation Scale is to measure the degree of Intrinsic (I) and Extrinsic (E) religious orientation in individuals across a broad age spectrum, notably including children who might lack the necessary verbal comprehension required for the original Allport and Ross instrument. This scale allows researchers to study religious motivation using two independent dimensions rather than a single unipolar construct, facilitating cross-age comparisons.

The test is a simple, paper-and-pencil measure requiring no specialized examiner expertise. Its clarity of purpose—to assess I and E orientations in an age-universal fashion—contributes to its high face validity, minimizing ambiguity for respondents.

Construct

The scale measures the psychological construct of Religious Orientation, which conceptualizes the way an individual approaches or uses religion in their life. This construct is divided into two hypothesized independent dimensions:

• Intrinsic Orientation (I): Reflects religion as a primary, driving force in life. Individuals scoring high on I internalize their faith, living their entire lives according to their religious beliefs. The religious faith is an end in itself.

• Extrinsic Orientation (E): Reflects religion as a means to an end. Individuals scoring high on E use religion for non-religious benefits, such as social acceptance, comfort, security, or status. The religious faith is utilitarian.

The AUI-E scale maintains the conceptual independence of these two dimensions, meaning they are scored separately (I: 9 items, E: 11 items), resulting in two distinct scores ranging from 9 to 45 for the I measure and 11 to 55 for the E measure.

Validity

The validity of the Age Universal Scale was primarily established through its close relationship with the foundational Allport and Ross (1967) scale, confirming its intended interchangeability.

• Convergent Validity: High correlations were found between the Age Universal Scale subscales and the corresponding Allport and Ross subscales. Specifically, the correlation was .90 for the Intrinsic (I) measure and .79 for the Extrinsic (E) measure.

• Item-Level Correlation: Item-to-item correlations between the two scales ranged from .34 to .78, with a median correlation of .59, indicating strong alignment of the rewritten items with the originals.

• Divergent Validity: The negative correlations between the I and E subscales were nearly identical for both instruments (Age Universal: -.39; Allport and Ross: -.38). This outcome supports the conceptual independence of the two dimensions.

A specific concern regarding the use of the scale with younger children was addressed by checking the role of verbal ability. A follow-up study by Gorsuch and Venable (1983) utilized the Information Inventory (Altus, 1948). They concluded, using multiple regression, that the scale is appropriate for fifth- and seventh-grade children, provided those below the seventh grade who score at the two lowest levels of verbal ability are excluded from the sample, ensuring the scale’s reliability is not compromised by insufficient reading comprehension.

Reliability

Reliability estimates, primarily measured through internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha), were calculated using both adult and child samples.

• Adult Sample Reliability (N=101 Protestant Volunteers): The internal consistency coefficients were .73 for the Intrinsic subscale and .66 for the Extrinsic subscale. These figures are comparable to the coefficients obtained from the same subjects when measured using the original Allport and Ross scale (.73 for I and .70 for E).

• Child Sample Reliability (N=230 Fifth and Seventh Graders): In the follow-up study, the alpha coefficients were .68 for the Intrinsic subscale and .75 for the Extrinsic subscale. The correlation between the I and E subscales in this younger sample was -.28.

The consistent internal consistency scores across both adult and child populations support the claim of the instrument’s age-universal applicability and robust psychometric properties.

Factor Analysis

While the original source content does not detail a specific Factor Analysis procedure, the underlying structure adopted by the AUI-E scale maintains the dimensional structure established in the earlier work by Allport and Ross. The scale is constructed based on the premise that Intrinsic and Extrinsic orientations are independent factors, rather than opposite ends of a single continuum (unipolar constructs).

The consistent negative correlations between the I and E subscales in both adult (-.39) and child (-.28) samples confirm that while the dimensions are related, they reflect distinct, separable components of religious orientation, justifying the separate scoring and interpretation of the two subscales.

Instrument

Test Type: Psychometric self-report scale measuring personality orientation.

Format: Paper-and-pencil measure, 20 items total (9 Intrinsic, 11 Extrinsic).

Language Available: English (Original publication language).

Population Group: General population, including children and adults.

Age Group: Fifth grade and older (approximately 10 years old and up).

Population Details: Standardization samples included 101 adult Protestant Christian volunteers and 257 fifth and seventh graders.

Test Methodology: 19 items are scored on a 5-point Likert continuum (1=Strongly Disagree to 5=Strongly Agree). One item (Intrinsic subscale) measures frequency of church attendance using a 5-point frequency continuum (1=”a few times a year or less” to 5=”more than once a week”). Scores for I and E are summed separately.

Keywords

Intrinsic motivation, Extrinsic motivation, I-E scale, religious beliefs, scale interchangeability, verbal comprehension, psychometric evaluation, quantification of religion.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1983 (Publication of the Age Universal revision).

Permissions/Fees: Information regarding current proprietary status or fees is not available in the original academic publication source. Typically, scales published in academic journals often permit research use with proper citation.

Reference’s

Gorsuch, R. L., & Venable, G.D. (1983). Development of an “Age Universal” I-E scale. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 22, 181-187.

Allport, G. W., & Ross, J. M. (1967). Personal religious orientation and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 432-443.

Altus, W. D. (1948). The validity of an abbreviated information test used in the army. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 12, 270-275.

Griffin, G. A. E., Gorsuch, R. L., & Davis, A. (1987). A cross-cultural investigation of religious orientation, social norms, and prejudice. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 26, 358-365.

Nelson, P. B. ( 1989). Ethnic differences in intrinsic/extrinsic religious orientation and depression in the elderly. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 3, 199-204.

Items of the AGE UNIVERSAL RELIGIOUS ORIENTATION SCALE

The following items are included in the Age Universal Religious Orientation Scale. Items were administered in the (random) order listed and were all scored (except the sixth item) on the same 5-point Likert continuum:

• l = I strongly disagree
• 2 = I tend to disagree
• 3 = I’m not sure
• 4 = I tend to agree
• 5 = strongly agree

1. (I) I enjoy reading about my religion.
2. (E) I go to church because it helps me to make friends.
3. (E) It doesn’t much matter what I believe so long as I am good.
4. (E) Sometimes I have to ignore my religious beliefs because of what people might think of me.
5. (I) It is important to me to spend time in private thought and prayer.
6. (I) I would prefer to go to church: ( l) a few times a year or less
   • once every month or two
   • two or three times a month
   • about once a week
   • more than once a week
7. (I) I have often had a strong sense of God’s presence.
8. (E) I pray mainly to gain relief and protection.
9. (I) I try to live all my life according to my religious beliefs.
10. (E) What religion offers me most is comfort in times of trouble and sorrow.
11. (I) My religion is important because it answers many question about the meaning of life.
12. (I) I would rather join a Bible study group than a church social group.
13. (E) Prayer is for peace and happiness.
14. (E) Although I am religious, I don’t let it affect my daily life.
15. (E) I go to church mostly to spend time with my friends.
16. (I) My whole approach to life is based on my religion.
17. (E) I go to church mainly because I enjoy seeing people I know there.
18. (E) I pray mainly because I have been taught to pray.
19. (I) Prayers I say when I’m alone are as important to me as those I say in church.
20. (E) Although I believe in my religion, many other things are more important in life.