Spiritual Connection Questionnaire (SCQ-48)

Abstract

The Spiritual Connection Questionnaire (SCQ-48) is a comprehensive, 48-item psychological scale designed to measure the subjective experience of spiritual connection. Developed by Wheeler and Hyland (2008), this instrument focuses on assessing a broad, uni-dimensional sense of connection that individuals feel toward four primary domains: the universe (or cosmos), other people, nature, and specific places. It aims to quantify the depth and breadth of an individual’s perceived spiritual relatedness, differentiating it from traditional religious belief measures.

Keywords

Spiritual Connection Questionnaire, SCQ-48, Spirituality, Sense of Connection, Uni-dimensional, Psychological Measurement, Nature Connection, Well-being.

Authors

Wheeler, P., Hyland, M. E.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SCQ-48 is to provide a robust, quantitative measure of the subjective experience of spiritual connection. It was developed specifically to capture the sense of relatedness that transcends the self, extending into the external world and the cosmos.

This scale serves as a valuable tool for research in health psychology and the psychology of religion, allowing researchers to explore how this specific type of connection correlates with other psychological constructs, such as life satisfaction, values, and overall mental health outcomes, as noted in the foundational study by its authors.

Construct

The SCQ-48 measures the construct of Spiritual Connection, defined operationally as a felt sense of relatedness that is perceived as spiritual in nature. Although the scale comprises items referencing various sources of connection (universe, people, nature, places), it is fundamentally conceptualized and validated as a uni-dimensional measure.

The construct focuses on the inherent human capacity for transcendent feeling and belonging, distinguishing it from specific theological adherence or organizational religious practice. The 48 items probe the extent to which an individual feels bound to the physical and metaphysical world around them, reflecting an expansive worldview where all life is interconnected.

Validity

The original development paper (Wheeler & Hyland, 2008) established the content validity by ensuring item representation across the four targeted domains: universe, people, nature, and places. Construct validity was supported through correlations with related scales, demonstrating that scores on the SCQ-48 behaved as expected in relation to measures of values and other spiritual constructs.

Further research is required to fully document the predictive validity and discriminant validity across diverse populations, but the initial findings suggest the scale successfully isolates the dimension of spiritual connection from general happiness or personality traits.

Reliability

Initial testing demonstrated high levels of internal consistency for the SCQ-48. The scale’s reliability, typically measured using Cronbach’s alpha, indicated that all 48 items consistently measured the same underlying uni-dimensional construct of spiritual connection. High internal consistency suggests the items are cohesive and reliable in capturing the overall intensity of this experience.

Factor Analysis

Initial Factor Analysis conducted during the scale development supported the intended structure. Although the items cover four distinct areas of connection (universe, people, nature, places), the statistical analysis indicated that the overall experience of spiritual connection loads strongly onto a single, overarching factor, confirming its designation as a uni-dimensional measure.

This finding is crucial as it suggests that while individuals may experience connection through different conduits—be it a person or a place—the underlying psychological mechanism of spiritual connection itself is singular.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale.

Format: 48 items utilizing a 7-point Likert-type response scale ranging from -3 (Unlike me) to +3 (Like me), with 0 representing a neutral point.

Language Available: English (Original development).

Population Group: General adult population.

Age Group: Adults (18+).

Population Details: The initial validation sample consisted of university students and community members.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the extent to which each statement describes their experience of spirituality or connection. Total scores are calculated by summing the responses, after reverse-scoring negatively worded items.

Keywords

Psychometrics, Spiritual Experience, Connection with Nature, Sense of Belonging, Universal Connection, Scale Development.

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

The scale was formally published and validated in 2008. Information regarding specific commercial permissions and associated fees for large-scale use should be sought directly from the authors or the journal publisher, Wiley Online Library.

Reference’s

Wheeler, P. and Hyland, M. E. (2008). The development of a scale to measure the experience of spiritual connection and the correlation between this experience and values. Spirituality Health, 9: 193–217. doi: 10.1002/shi.348.

Items of the Spiritual Connection Questionnaire (SCQ-48)

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

Below is a list of statements about the experience of spirituality. Please show to what extent these statements describe you by circling the number which best correspond to your experience. For example, if the statement is very like you, then circle 3. If it is only slightly like you, then circle 1. Do not spend to long over any statement. Just give the first answer that comes into your head. There are no right or wrong answers.

Unlike me -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 Like me

• 1. Sometimes when I look at a person I feel a connection which is very special and different from usual human contact.
• 2. For me, happiness is achieved from pleasure, not spiritual fulfilment
• 3. I sometimes experience joy just from being in a beautiful place.
• 4. I do not feel connected to the universe in any spiritual way.
• 5. I am very sensitive to the atmosphere of a house.
• 6. I never feel that I am making contact with someone’s soul.
• 7. For me, spirituality gives me a feeling of ultimate happiness.
• 8. I never feel any special connection with a part of nature such as a flower, tree or mountain.
• 9. I can sometimes enter a state where I feel connected to the universe.
• 10. For me, places do not have a special atmosphere.
• 11. I am drawn to spiritual people.
• 12. Spirituality is not important to me.
• 13. For me, spirituality is a kind of love for everything.
• 14. I do not have a personal relationship with some power greater than myself.
• 15. I sometimes experience other people ‘shining with an inner light’.
• 16. It is not important to me to be connected with a spiritual being or force.
  Unlike me -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 Like me
• 17. I can sometimes feel love for living or non-living parts of nature (flowers, trees, stones, animals etc.).
• 18. The physical world as we know it is all there is.
• 19. There is something of the cosmos that binds all people together.
• 20. Spirituality does not contribute to my life.
• 21. I feel there is a form of energy that binds all life together.
• 22. I feel no spiritual connection to the world around me.
• 23. I have a deep feeling of being connected to my family both past and future.
• 24. I have never had a spiritual experience that has changed my life.
• 25. We are all participating in something larger and greater than any of us.
• 26. I do not believe events in my life unfold according to a greater plan.
• 27. I can sometimes feel a connection with those who are no longer with us.
• 28. I am not much affected by my surroundings.
• 29. I believe all life is connected.
• 30. I will never have a spiritual bond with another person.
• 31. I feel I have an inner spiritual strength.
• 32. I am not touched spiritually by beauty.
• 33. There is a larger plan to life.
• 34. I find spiritually in others rather off-putting.
• 35. My spirituality makes life good for me.
• 36. I never get completely immersed in the beauty of my surroundings.
• 37. For me all life is connected.
• 38. I do not feel that there is a form of energy that binds people together.
• 39. I have joy in my life because of my spirituality.
• 40. The beauty of the universe fails to move me.
• 41. I feel an inner strength from a spiritual connection with others.
• 42. The cosmos (everything that exists) has only a physical dimension, not a spiritual one.
• 43. My connection to something spiritual makes me happy.
• 44. I have no sense of awareness of those who will come after me.
• 45. I feel that I am always protected by an ultimate principle, force or being.
• 46. I have no feeling of being connected with the spirit world.
• 47. My feelings of a spiritual connection with the cosmos (everything that exists) are important to me.
• 48. Spiritual connections with other people do not help me.