Christian Religious Internalization Scale

Abstract

The Christian Religious Internalization Scale (CRIS) is a concise, 12-item psychological instrument designed to evaluate the degree of internalization of Christian beliefs and practices. It is theoretically grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which posits that externally prescribed values can be transformed into internal ones with varying degrees of integration.

The CRIS specifically differentiates between two primary styles of religious motivation: introjection and identification. Introjection represents a partially internalized regulation driven by contingent self-approval, guilt, or the desire to avoid shame. In contrast, identification reflects a more complete form of internalization, where religious behaviors are experienced as volitional, self-determined, and personally valued. The scale was developed with the dual intent of classifying an individual’s type of religious orientation and examining how these motivational styles correlate with measures of well-being and mental health, anticipating divergent outcomes (positive adjustment associated with identification, negative outcomes associated with introjection).

Keywords

Christianity, Religious Internalization, Introjection, Identification, Self-Determination Theory, Motivation, Psychological Assessment, Religious Orientation, Intrinsic Religiosity, Extrinsic Religiosity.

Authors

Richard M. Ryan, Scott Rigby, Kendra King

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Christian Religious Internalization Scale (CRIS) is twofold. Firstly, it aims to precisely assess an individual’s specific style of religious motivation, distinguishing between the two theoretically distinct forms of internalization: introjection and identification. This classification provides insight into the quality of an individual’s religious engagement, rather than just the quantity.

Secondly, the CRIS was developed to facilitate research into the psychological consequences associated with different religious orientations. Based on the tenets of Self-Determination Theory, the scale allows researchers to test hypotheses regarding mental health and adjustment, predicting that more autonomous forms of motivation (identification) lead to positive outcomes, while controlled forms (introjection) lead to negative outcomes such as guilt or anxiety.

Construct

The CRIS measures Religious Internalization, a construct defined as the process by which an individual transforms an external religious regulation or practice into an internal value or self-regulation. This construct is viewed along a continuum of autonomy, with two primary subscales:

• Introjection: This subscale measures a less autonomous, controlled form of religious motivation. Introjected beliefs and practices are maintained through mechanisms of contingent self-esteem, guilt, and the avoidance of anxiety. The individual feels compelled to perform religious behaviors because they “should,” often due to pressure (internal or external).
• Identification: This subscale measures a highly autonomous, volitional form of religious motivation. Identified beliefs and practices are fully integrated into the self-concept, experienced as a personal value, and perceived as emanating from the individual rather than from external demands. This level of internalization is considered self-determined.

Validity

The construct validity of the CRIS was established through tests of known groups validity, as well as convergent and discriminant correlational studies across multiple Christian samples.

In terms of Known Groups Validity, researchers compared highly behaviorally engaged evangelical youths with less involved Christian students from a secular university. As hypothesized, the evangelical group scored significantly higher on both the introjection and identification subscales (p < .001), demonstrating the scale’s ability to discriminate between groups expected to differ in the degree of religious internalization.

Convergent and Discriminant Validity analyses supported the theoretical distinctions between the subscales:

• The Identification subscale showed strong positive correlations (ranging from .33 to .77) with Allport and Ross’s Intrinsic Religiosity and Batson and Ventis’s Religion as an End orientation, confirming its association with autonomous motivation.
• The Introjection subscale showed only moderate correlations (ranging from .10 to .40) with Extrinsic Religiosity and Religion as a Means orientation. This finding suggests that while related to extrinsic motivation, introjection measures a more specific, internally driven form of controlled motivation that is distinct from purely extrinsic factors.

Both introjection and identification were generally associated with greater church attendance and higher scores on the Doctrinal Orthodoxy Scale.

Reliability

The internal consistency reliability of the CRIS was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha across three distinct samples of Christian subjects. The results generally indicated adequate internal reliability for both subscales:

• Sample 1 (Secular University Students): Both the introjection and identification subscales yielded high alpha coefficients of .82.
• Sample 2 (College/University Students): The introjection subscale maintained a strong alpha coefficient of .82, while the identification subscale showed a slightly lower, though acceptable, coefficient of .69.
• Sample 3 (Adult Sunday School Class): Due to smaller sample size, factor analysis was not performed, but internal consistency indices suggested adequate reliability, with alpha coefficients of .64 for introjection and .79 for identification.

Factor Analysis

The development of the CRIS began with a 36-item pool, which was subsequently refined into the final 12-item brief version based on factor and internal consistency analyses across two large preliminary samples. Factor analysis using varimax rotation consistently supported the hypothesized two-factor structure corresponding to the theoretical constructs.

• Factor 1: Introjection: This factor was consistently identified by six items. Eigenvalues ranged from 3.00 to 3.50 across three samples. This factor accounted for approximately 20.5% to 23.3% of the explained variance. Item loadings ranged from .52 to .73.
• Factor 2: Identification: This factor was also consistently identified by six items. Eigenvalues ranged from 2.20 to 2.80 across the three samples. This factor accounted for approximately 29.1% of the explained variance in the first two samples. Item loadings ranged from .57 to .84.

A crucial finding supporting the distinction between the constructs was the lack of significant correlation between the two subscales (r = .07), confirming that introjection and identification measure orthogonal aspects of religious motivation.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological Scale

Format: Paper-and-pencil measure consisting of 12 items, scored on a 4-point Likert continuum. Two subscale scores (mean of six items each) are calculated.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Christian subjects (Catholic and varied Protestant denominations).

Age Group: Adolescents (mean age 17.5) to Adults (mean age 35).

Population Details: Standardization utilized four distinct volunteer samples, including undergraduates from secular universities (n=105), students from religious colleges (n=151), adults from a Sunday school class (n=41), and participants in an evangelical project (n=333). Denominational backgrounds included Baptists, non-denominational groups, and other affiliations.

Test Methodology: Subjects select the response that best describes them (1 = not at all true to 4 = very true). Items assess the degree to which various motives would be salient if the respondent were to perform a religious behavior, thereby distinguishing religious orientation from general motivation. Administration requires no special skills beyond ensuring confidentiality.

Keywords

Self-Regulation, Internalization, Guilt, Shame, Autonomous Motivation, Controlled Motivation, Religious Behavior, SDT, Mental Health, Well-being.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: Richard Ryan, Dept. of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627—0001

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1993

Permissions: Permissions for use of the scale should be directed to the corresponding author, Richard Ryan. A longer 36-item version of the scale is also available upon request.

Fee: Not specified in the source material.

Reference’s

• Allport, G. W., & Ross, J.M. (1967). Personal religious orientation and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 432-443.
• Batson, C. D. (1976). Religion as prosocial: Agent or double agent? Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 15, 29-46.
• Batson, C. D., & Ventis, W. L. (1982). The religious experience: A social-psychological perspective. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Ryan, R. M., Rigby, S., & King, K. (1993). Two types of religious internalization and their relations to religious orientations and mental health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65 (3), 586-596.

Items of the CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS INTERNALIZATION SCALE

The following items are included in the Christian Religious Internalization Scale. All items are scored on the same 4-point Likert continuum:

• 1 = not at all true
• 2 = usually not true
• 3 = usually true
• 4 = very true

One reason I actively share my faith with others is:

1. (Identified) Because God is important to me and I’d like other people to know about Him too.
2. (Introjected) Because I would feel bad about myself if I didn’t.
3. (Introjected) Because I want other Christians to approve of me.

When I turn to God, I most often do it because:

1. (Identified) I enjoy spending time with Him.
2. (Introjected) I would feel guilty if I didn’t.
3. (Identified) I find it satisfying to me.

A reason I pray by myself is:

1. (Introjected) Because if I don’t, God will disapprove of me.
2. (Identified) Because I enjoy praying.
3. (Identified) Because I find prayer satisfying.

A reason I attend church is:

1. (Introjected) Because one is supposed to go to church.
2. (Identified) By going to church, I learn new things.
3. (Introjected) Because others would disapprove of me if I didn’t.