Indiscriminate Proreligiousness Scale Personal Form

Abstract

The Indiscriminate Proreligiousness Scale Personal Form is a psychological instrument developed to measure a specific, uncritical style of religious commitment. This construct, termed Indiscriminate Proreligiousness (IPR), reflects an individual’s tendency to endorse religious statements, practices, and institutions universally and positively, often without deep internal conviction or critical reflection. The scale aims to capture generalized positive sentiment toward religion, which may be influenced by social desirability or a desire for conformity, rather than genuine, internalized faith. It is designed as a short, dichotomous (True/False) self-report measure.

Keywords

Indiscriminate Proreligiousness, IPR, Religious commitment, Psychological scale, Measurement, True-False format, Religion, Faith, Social desirability.

Authors

K. I. Pergament, M. T. Brannick, H. Adamakos, D. S. Ensing, M. L. Kelemen, R. K. Warren, K. Falgout, P. Cook, J. Myers.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Indiscriminate Proreligiousness Scale is to provide a reliable and concise measure for identifying individuals who hold a generalized, unexamined positive orientation toward religious life. This measurement is crucial in psychological research to control for the confounding variable of simply being “pro-religion” when studying specific aspects of religious motivation, such as intrinsic or extrinsic religiosity.

By assessing this indiscriminate acceptance, researchers can better analyze whether an individual’s religious behavior stems from deeply integrated beliefs or from a superficial endorsement driven by external factors, social norms, or the perceived benefits of appearing devout.

Construct

The scale measures the construct of Indiscriminate Proreligiousness (IPR). IPR is conceptualized as a dispositional tendency characterized by the automatic, non-differentiated affirmation of religious content. Individuals scoring high on IPR tend to deny any struggle, doubt, or inconsistency in their religious life, often endorsing absolute statements about their faith and participation. This construct is often studied in contrast to more nuanced measures of faith, such as those distinguishing between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientations, where IPR often serves as a measure of generalized religious positivity or conformity.

Validity

Initial validation studies conducted by the authors established strong foundational validity for the IPR scale. Evidence of construct validity was established by demonstrating that IPR scores correlate significantly, yet distinctly, with established measures of social desirability, suggesting that while the scale captures some element of reporting bias, it also measures a unique psychological disposition toward religion. Discriminant validity was also supported, showing that IPR is statistically separate from measures of genuine intrinsic religiosity, indicating that it measures superficial acceptance rather than deep spiritual internalization.

Reliability

The reliability of the Indiscriminate Proreligiousness Scale focuses primarily on its internal consistency. The original research published in 1987 reported acceptable levels of internal consistency, typically reflected by Cronbach’s Alpha scores in the acceptable range, confirming that the 12 items cohere well as a measure of a singular underlying construct. Test-retest reliability, demonstrating the stability of the measure over time, is also essential for confirming its efficacy as a standardized psychological measure.

Factor Analysis

Given the brevity of the instrument (12 items), factor analysis was utilized during development to confirm its structure. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) results supported the conceptualization of IPR as a unidimensional construct. This analysis confirmed that the items load onto a single dominant factor, reinforcing the notion that the scale effectively measures a single, overarching tendency toward uncritical positive religious endorsement, rather than multiple facets of religious life.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire

Format: Dichotomous response format (True/False)

Language Available: English

Population Group: Individuals who identify with or participate in organized religion.

Age Group: Adults and potentially older adolescents (inferred from academic context).

Population Details: Originally validated using university and general community samples.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to read 12 statements concerning their religious attitudes and practices and indicate whether each statement is True or False regarding their personal experience. The directions specifically ask respondents to consider the role of regular church attendance in their lives.

Keywords

IPR scale, Uncritical religiousness, Social desirability in religion, Pergament scale, Dichotomous response, Religious attitude measurement.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided.

Correspondence Address: Refer to the primary publication in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion for corresponding author details (Pergament, K. I.).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was initially published in 1987. Researchers seeking permission to use the scale should consult the primary publication source or contact the authors directly. As the scale is an established academic measure, usage fees typically depend on the specific research context and institutional policy.

Reference’s

Pergament, K. I., Brannick, M. T., Adamakos, H., Ensing, D. S., Kelemen, M. L., Warren, R. K., Falgout, K., Cook, P., & Myers, J. (1987). Indiscriminant pro religiousness: Conceptualization and measurement. Journal for the scientific study of religion, 26, 182-200.

Further contextual information regarding the use of this scale can be reviewed in related doctoral research; the original PDF context can be found here: http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1518&context=doctoral.

Items of the Indiscriminate Proreligiousness Scale Personal Form

Directions: Please help us understand the role of regular church attendance in your Ii re. Carefully read each item below and write the word that best describes your response to the item‚ either true or false.

1. Religious services always give me new insight into my beliefs.
2. I am always inspired by the sermon topics.
3. Sometimes I daydream during services.
4. I always try to use the message of the weekly sermon in me daily life.
5. There have been times when I doubted the existence of God.
6. I always live by my religious beliefs.
7. My religious beliefs guide me in every one of my daily actions.
8. There are times when I do not feel like going to church.
9. Praying always brings me inner peace.
10. Sometimes I feel that the teachings of my religion ask too much of me.
11. I never disobey the teachings of my faith.
12. When things are going well for me‚ I sometimes forget to thank God.