Scale of Spiritual Transcendence

Abstract

The Scale of Spiritual Transcendence (SST) is a 40-item, self-report instrument developed by Piotrowski, Skrzypińska, and Żemojtel-Piotrowska  in 2013 to measure the psychological construct of Spiritual Transcendence. This construct represents an individual’s capacity to move beyond ordinary self-centered concerns, embracing a sense of universal interconnectedness, a profound meaning in life, and an appreciation for existential paradoxes. The SST was designed to provide a robust, multi-dimensional measure suitable for academic research, particularly in the fields of personality and religious psychology, complementing earlier work by researchers like Piedmont (1999, 2001).

The scale employs a four-point Likert scale response format and is structured around core components identified in the literature, such as Transcendence Proper and Spiritual Openness. Its validation study established its strong psychometric properties, supporting its use in assessing how individuals relate to concepts of heritage, purpose, non-judgment, and spiritual consciousness.

Keywords

Spiritual Transcendence, spirituality, religious experience, psychometrics, personality, meaning in life, interconnectedness, non-judgment, Likert scale, Transcendence Proper, Spiritual Openness.

Authors

• Jarosław Piotrowski

• Katarzyna Skrzypińska

• Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Scale of Spiritual Transcendence (SST) is to provide a comprehensive and empirically validated measure of the spiritual domain within personality psychology. It aims to operationalize the concept of Spiritual Transcendence—the capacity to transcend the immediate physical and psychological self—allowing researchers to investigate its relationship with established personality models, such as the Five-Factor Model (FFM).

Specifically, the scale was developed to capture the nuances of transcendence, moving beyond simple religious affiliation to encompass broader existential experiences, including appreciation for life’s paradoxes, deep feelings of gratitude, and a sense of being linked to humanity and historical heritage. This allows for cross-cultural research into spirituality as a potentially universal human quality.

Construct

The SST measures Spiritual Transcendence, defined as a psychological orientation characterized by a profound awareness of life’s meaning, a sense of unity with others and the universe, and an openness to experiences that extend beyond the material world. The scale appears to capture several key aspects of this construct, which can generally be grouped into the two overarching factors mentioned in the validation study: Transcendence Proper and Spiritual Openness.

The Transcendence Proper component focuses on vertical and horizontal connections, including prayer/meditation practices, belief in a higher consciousness or plan, feeling part of humanity, and valuing important causes that exceed the self. The Spiritual Openness component emphasizes non-judgment, acceptance of life’s complexities and paradoxes, gratitude for existence, and an appreciation for the uniqueness and miracle of life. Together, these dimensions provide a holistic view of the transcendental experience.

Validity

The validation study conducted by Skrzypińska, Piotrowski, and Żemojtel-Piotrowska (2013) demonstrated strong evidence for the construct validity of the SST. Initial analyses confirmed that the scale items adequately represented the theoretical dimensions of Spiritual Transcendence. Convergent validity was established through expected correlations with other measures of spirituality, purpose in life, and psychological well-being. Furthermore, the measure showed discriminant validity, confirming that while related to traditional religiousness, it assesses a distinct psychological construct separate from basic personality traits, thereby supporting the argument for spirituality as a potentially independent domain.

Reliability

The Scale of Spiritual Transcendence exhibits strong internal consistency, confirming its reliability across its multiple dimensions. The full 40-item scale and its subscales (Transcendence Proper and Spiritual Openness) typically yield high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, indicating that the items within each dimension measure the same underlying construct reliably. Test-retest reliability, though not explicitly detailed here, is generally expected to be acceptable for such a stable personality characteristic, ensuring consistency of scores over time.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the SST was confirmed using Factor Analysis (likely Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis) during its development. This analysis revealed a robust multi-dimensional structure, confirming the theoretical distinction between the core components of the scale. While the precise factor structure may be complex, the validation established two major factors: Transcendence Proper, which captures active spiritual engagement and universal connection, and Spiritual Openness, which captures existential acceptance and non-judgmental attitudes toward self and others.

Specific items loading onto these factors include those related to prayer and meditation, belief in a larger plan (Transcendence Proper), and items concerning appreciation for paradoxes and acceptance of others (Spiritual Openness). This empirical structure supports the scale’s use in differentiating various facets of spiritual experience.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological inventory (Psychometric Scale)

Format: 40 items, administered via paper-and-pencil or digitally.

Language Available: English (Validated version), Polish (Original language of development).

Population Group: General adult population.

Age Group: Adolescents (late) to older adults.

Population Details: Developed and validated using samples primarily from Poland, but designed for cross-cultural applicability in line with the concept of spiritual transcendence as a universal human trait.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their agreement with each statement using a 4-point Likert scale, where 1 typically represents “strongly disagree” and 4 represents “strongly agree.” Scoring involves summing or averaging scores across the full scale and specific subscales (Transcendence Proper and Spiritual Openness).

Keywords

Psychology, spirituality, assessment, personality research, self-report measure, psychometric validation, meaning and purpose, religious psychology, human universals, existential psychology.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3315-1863

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (Affiliation: SWPS University, Poland)

Correspondence Address: [email protected]‏

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 2013 (Year of primary validation and publication).

Permissions & Fee: The scale is published in an academic journal, suggesting its availability for non-commercial academic research, though direct permission from the authors should be sought for formal use or translation. Contact the authors via the provided email for specific usage rights.

The original academic paper detailing the instrument and its validation can be downloaded here: Piotrowski, 2013 (PDF).

Reference’s

• Piotrowski, J., Skrzypińska, K., & Żemojtel-Piotrowska, M. (2019). The scale of spiritual transcendence: Construction and validation. Roczniki Psychologiczne, 16(3), 469-485.
• Skrzypińska, Katarzyna., Piotrowski, Jaroslaw., Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Ma. (2013). The Scale of Spiritual Transcendence construction and validation. Roczniki Psychologiczne/Annals of Psychology, 16(3): 469-485.
• Piedmont, R. (1999). Does spirituality represent the sixth factor of personality? Spiritual transcendence and the Five-Factor Model. Journal of Personality, 67(6): 985-1013.
• Piedmont, R. (2001). Spiritual transcendence and scientific study of spirituality. Journal of Rehabilitation, 67: 4-14.
• Piedmont, R. (2004). The Logoplex as a paradigm for understanding spiritual transcendence. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 15: 262-284.
• Piedmont, R. (2007). Cross-cultural generalizability of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale to the Philippines: Spirituality as a human universal. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 10(2): 89-107.
• Piedmont, R. (2010). Assessment of spirituality and religious sentiments. Technical manual. Second edition. Timonium, MD: published by the author.
• Piedmont, R., Ciarrochi, J. W., Dy-Liacco, G. S., & Williams, J. E. G. (2009). The empirical and conceptual value of the Spiritual Transcendence and Religious Involvement Scales for personality research. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 1(3): 162-179.

Items of the Scale of Spiritual Transcendence

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

1. I experienced deep satisfaction and joy through prayer or meditation
2. I find inner strength and/ or peace from my prayers or meditations
3. There is a higher plane of consciousness or spirituality that binds all people
4. I believe there is a larger plan to life
5. The needs of my body do not keep me from my prayers or meditations
6. I believe that at a certain level my life is closely tied with the whole humanity
7. I feel that I am part of humanity, needed for maintaining harmony
8. I believe there is a larger meaning to life
9. I pray or meditate to obtain a higher level of spiritual consciousness
10. When I pray or meditate, I forget about the events of this world
11. I feel that I am a part of a bigger cause, exceeding me
12. I feel that at a certain level all of us share a common bond
13. I feel I am a better person due to participating in causes more important than me
14. I still have strong emotional ties with someone that has died
15. I am a link in a chain of my family’s heritage, a bridge between the past and the future
16. It is worthwhile to subordinate your entire life to a really important cause
17. People whom I really admire are the ones who sacrificed everything for the sake of important causes
18. Images of some of my dead relatives still influences my current life
19. There is no one right way of living
20. Participating in the realization of causes important to me gives me a sense of purpose in life
21. I am grateful for the chances I have received in my life
22. Everyday experiences are opportunities for entertainment and development for me
23. Every moment of my life is important to me
24. I feel that fighting with difficulties really enriches me
25. I feel that my life is a special miracle
26. I can enjoy current moments
27. I feel deeply grateful for all that happened to me in my life
28. My life is the most beautiful gift
29. I try not to close my mind to things strange and unusual
30. The uniqueness of my life astonishes me
31. I appreciate that life is full of paradoxes
32. I happily accept all that life brings
33. World is interesting thanks to including plenty of contradictions
34. In many situations, truth is more complicated than it appears
35. I am concerned about those who will come after me
36. I try to understand others instead of judging them
37. I do not judge anyone’s life
38. I believe I do not have the right to judge other people’s actions
39. I avoid judging others
40. I accept other people as they are