RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE ATTITUDES SCALE

Abstract

The Attitudes Toward Religion and Philosophy of Life Survey is a comprehensive psychological instrument designed to evaluate the complex relationships between various dimensions of individual religious attitudes among college students. Developed primarily by R. A. Funk (1958), the survey consists of a total of 65 items distributed across seven distinct subscales. These subscales measure crucial aspects of religious experience, including Religious Conflict, Religious Orthodoxy (a modified version of the Myers, 1952 scale), Philosophy of Life, Hostility toward the Church, Religious Tranquility, Religious Solace, and Change of Religious Attitudes. The instrument utilizes a simple true-false scoring methodology, though researchers are cautioned regarding its age and are advised to re-examine modern psychometric properties.

Keywords

Religious attitudes, College students, Religious Conflict, Orthodoxy, Philosophy of Life, Hostility toward the Church, Religious Solace, Religious Tranquility, Attitude change.

Authors

R. A. Funk, M. S. Myers (contributor to Orthodoxy Scale).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Attitudes Toward Religion and Philosophy of Life Survey is to systematically assess and quantify the relationships among various facets of religious and existential beliefs held by college students. It provides a multi-dimensional framework for understanding how students navigate spiritual doubts, adherence to traditional beliefs, and the integration of personal meaning systems.

Specifically, the scale was intended to explore how internal struggles (Religious Conflict) interact with external conformity (Religious Orthodoxy) and how religion functions either as a source of comfort (Religious Solace and Tranquility) or as an object of hostility within an academic setting.

Construct

The scale measures seven distinct, yet potentially interrelated, constructs concerning religious and existential attitudes. These constructs move beyond simple religious affiliation to assess the functional and emotional role of faith in an individual’s life.

• Religious Conflict (22 items): Defined as “simultaneous tendencies to react in opposing and incompatible ways to the same religious attitude object” (Funk, 1958, p. 240). This captures internal struggle and doubt regarding religious beliefs.
• Religious Orthodoxy (9 items): Represents the “tendency to accept the teachings of religious authorities, and conform to prescribed religious practices” (Funk, 1958, p. 240).
• Philosophy of Life (5 items): Measures “an integrated system of meanings and purposes which relates the individual’s goals to the goals of humanity and the wider structure of the universe” (Funk, 1958, p. 241). This dimension is noted as being independent of formal religion.
• Hostility toward the Church (6 items): Assesses “aggression or withdrawal toward religious attitude objects” (Funk, 1958, p. 242), though later analysis suggests it may reflect general hostility toward religion rather than just the institution.
• Religious Tranquility (6 items): Characterizes the attitude of those who view religion as “an aid to happiness and favorable socio-psychological adjustment,” rather than a compensation (Funk, 1958, p. 242).
• Religious Solace (7 items): Measures the “use of religion as a means of compensating for the unhappiness and disappointments of life” (Funk, 1958, p. 242).
• Change of Religious Attitudes (10 items): Designed to quantify the stability or instability of religious beliefs experienced since entering college (Funk, 1958, p. 243).

Validity

The validity of the instrument presents several limitations, primarily due to the potential high intercorrelation among the individual scales, leading to doubts regarding the face validity of the seven measures as distinct constructs. Researchers have suggested that the scales would likely reduce to a smaller number of item composites if treated factor-analytically.

However, some evidence supports construct and content validity for specific subscales. The Religious Conflict Scale demonstrated construct validity via a highly significant positive correlation (.43) with the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (Taylor, 1953). It also correlates significantly and negatively with the Orthodoxy scale. Critical examination by Shaw and Wright (1967) questioned the distinctiveness between the Religious Solace and Religious Tranquility scales. Furthermore, the Hostility toward the Church scale appears to measure general hostility toward religion, and the interpretation of scores from the Change of Religious Attitudes scale is considered uncertain, as the respondents’ original attitudes upon college entry were not known.

Reliability

Reliability data for the scales are limited primarily to test-retest reliabilities computed over a three-week interval. These coefficients are generally strong, though the original researchers noted the need for further examination of internal consistency (e.g., using methods developed since the scale’s creation).

The specific test-retest coefficients reported are:

• Religious Conflict: .84
• Religious Orthodoxy: .95
• Philosophy of Life: .81
• Hostility toward the Church: .88
• Religious Tranquility: .84
• Religious Solace: .87
• Change of Religious Attitudes: .90

Factor Analysis

Formal factor analysis results were not provided in the original documentation. However, given the strong likelihood that the individual scales correlate highly, it was suggested that applying a factor-analytically approach would be necessary. This analysis would determine the true underlying dimensionality of the instrument and likely confirm that the seven scales could be reduced to a smaller, more focused set of factors, thereby addressing concerns about the redundancy and distinctiveness of the measures.

Instrument

Test Type: Attitude Survey / Psychological Scale Battery

Format: 65 items (total across seven subscales). Primarily True/False response format, administered using a standard IBM answer sheet. Items for all scales are randomly mixed in the final survey.

Language Available: English (Original development language)

Population Group: Non-clinical population (Undergraduates)

Age Group: Young Adults (College Students)

Population Details: Developed and standardized on a sample of 255 undergraduate students at Purdue University.

Test Methodology: Self-report inventory with simple true and false scoring, requiring no special training to administer.

Keywords

Psychological measurement, Religious attitudes, Attitude scales, Purdue University, Manifest Anxiety, Religious beliefs, Funk (1958).

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not available.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not available.

Correspondence Address: Not available.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was initially developed in the mid-1950s, with key publications appearing in 1955 and 1958. Given its age and academic origin, the instrument is generally accessible for research purposes, although contemporary researchers are strongly advised to recompute reliabilities and re-examine validity before use, due to the measure primarily having been utilized about 40 years prior to later review.

Reference’s

• Funk, R. A. (1955). A survey of religious attitudes and manifest anxiety in a college population. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Purdue University.
• Funk, R. A. (1958). Experimental scales used in a study of religious attitudes as related to manifest anxiety. Psychological Newsletter, 9, 238-244.
• Myers, M. S. (1952). The latent role of religious orientation. Studies in Higher Education, Purdue University, No. 78.
• Shaw, M. E., & Wright, J. M. (1967). Scales for the measurement of attitudes. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Taylor, J. A. (1953). A personality scale of manifest anxiety. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 48, 285-290.

Items of the RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE ATTITUDES SCALE

A Survey of Attitudes toward Religion and Philosophy of Life

Instructions: This inventory consists of numbered statements. Read each statement and decide whether it is true as applied to you or false as applied to you. If the question is multiple choice, blacken in the space corresponding to your choice.

You are to make your answers on the answer sheet you have. If a statement is true or mostly true, as applied to you, blacken between the lines in the column headed T. If a statement is false or not usually true as applied to you, blacken between the lines in the column headed F.

Religious Conflict Scale

1. I cannot decide what to believe about religion.

10. I sometimes wonder just what life is all about and why we are here.

12. I am actively trying to decide by reading or other means what the truth is about religion.

14. At times I have felt guilty because of my religious upbringing.

20. I sometimes feel disloyal to my parents because I cannot entirely accept their religious beliefs.

24. I wish I was perfectly sure of my belief in God.

26. I am not as strict in my religious practices as I feel I should be.

28. My church is too strict.

38. There are too many things about religion that I don’t understand.

42. I am in danger of losing my faith.

44. Sometimes I feel guilty because of my lack of faith.

46. Education has led me to question some teachings of my church.

50. Sometimes I believe in Hell and sometimes I don’t.

56. I wish I could be sure my religious beliefs are correct.

60. Contradictory religious ideas make one wonder which ones to accept.

64. I feel that I shouldn’t question my religion, but I sometimes do, anyway.

66. I feel that I should be more religious than I am.

68. I might be happier if I did not believe in my religion.

72. I wish I did not believe in Hell, but I do.

76. I sometimes wonder why God lets terrible things happen to people.

84. It is hard to reconcile science with religion.

86. Although basically I believe in my religion, my faith often wavers.

The Orthodoxy Scale

l.(a) I believe in the basic teachings of my church and attend regularly.

4. I believe firmly in the teachings of my church.

6. I never doubt the teachings of the church.

90. I believe that religious faith is better than logic for solving life’s important problems.

92. I believe our fate in the hereafter depends on how we behave on earth.

94. I believe God knows our every thought and movement.

96. I believe God controls everything that happens everywhere.

98. I think my prayers are answered.

a. Always (2) b. Sometimes (I)

I 00. I attend church

a. Once a week or more (2) b. Once a month or more (I)

Each true response = I; Note on 98 and 100, scores of 2 and 1.

Philosophy of Life Scale

l.(d) I do not believe in any particular religion; instead I have a philosophy of life. (If checked, score as 2.)

8. Although at one time I believed in a religion, I now believe in a code of ethics.

62. If you are a strong person, you do not need religion.

82. Promoting a better world is more important to me than religion is.

88. We make our own heaven or hell here on earth.

The Religious Tranquility Scale

30. Religion has brought me peace of mind.

32. Religion’s chief purpose is to make people happy.

40. Religion makes me feel safe and secure.

70. Religion helps me to be a better person.

74. I feel secure in the knowledge that God is always with me.

80. I believe in a merciful God, not a punishing one.

Religious Solace Scale

16. Religion helps me when I feel blue.

18. Some unhappy experiences have made me tum to God for help.

22. Sometimes religion is the only thing we can rely on.

34. If I were to lose my belief in God, there would be little comfort left.

36. I feel a strong need to believe in God.

52. You can always tum to God when you are in trouble.

78. At times only my belief in God has prevented me from feeling hopeless.

Hostility to the Church Scale

l.(e) I believe that religion is of little use in present-day society. (If answered true, score as 2.)

2. I am indifferent to the subject of religion.

48. I have little use for religion.

54. Religion has not kept pace with the times.

58. Religion has too often been used to promote prejudice.

82. Promoting a better world is more important to me than religion is. Item 82 also contributes to the Philosophy of Life Scale score.

Religious Attitude Change Scale

(Here are a number of beliefs. Please indicate, by checking the appropriate column, whether your attitude toward each is the same (S), partly different (P), or very different (D) from what it was when you entered college).

Item no. Item

104. The church

105. A personal God

106. The immortality of the soul

107. Hell

108. Heaven

109. Adam and Eve

110. Angels

111. The divine inspiration of the Bible

112. The power of prayer

113. The divine authority of the church

Note: Items for all scales were randomly mixed in the final survey, and a true-false response mode was employed. A separate standard IBM true-false answer sheet was used. The original item numbers are presented above as a guide to mixing the items.