Ways of Religious Coping Scale (WORCS)

Abstract

The Ways of Religious Coping Scale (WORCS) is a 40-item, self-report psychological scale developed to assess the frequency with which individuals employ religious beliefs and behaviors when managing stressful situations. Developed by Boudreaux and colleagues in 1995, the instrument measures two distinct dimensions of religious coping: Internal/Private Coping and External/Social Coping. It is widely used in health psychology and stress research to understand the role of spirituality as an active resource in managing life challenges.

Keywords

Religious coping, coping strategies, stress management, psychological assessment, internal coping, external coping, spirituality, psychometrics.

Authors

Edwin Boudreaux, S. Catz, Laurie Ryan, Marta Amaral-Mendez, Phillip J. Brantley.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the WORCS is to provide a reliable and validated measure of an individual’s active engagement in religious practices specifically in response to distress. Unlike general measures of religiosity, the WORCS focuses on the dynamic process of utilizing faith-based resources as a mechanism for dealing with perceived threats or difficulties.

By distinguishing between private and social coping strategies, the scale allows researchers and clinicians to ascertain whether an individual primarily derives strength through internalized spiritual resources (e.g., prayer, meditation) or through communal support and institutional involvement (e.g., clergy consultation, church attendance).

Construct

The WORCS measures the construct of Religious Coping, which falls under the broader field of stress and coping theory. The scale posits that religious responses to stress can be categorized into two independent dimensions based on the source and nature of the activity:

• Internal/Private Coping: This sub-construct involves personal, internalized behaviors and beliefs, focusing on the individual’s direct relationship with the divine or their inner spiritual life to find meaning, strength, or comfort during a crisis.
• External/Social Coping: This sub-construct involves seeking assistance, guidance, or support through religious social structures, such as engaging with church members, clergy, or religious organizations.

Validity

Initial validation studies confirmed the scale’s structural integrity and its relevance to psychological outcomes. The clear differentiation into two factors (Internal and External) supports strong construct validity, demonstrating that the scale effectively measures the theoretical dimensions it proposes.

The WORCS has demonstrated criterion validity by showing meaningful correlations with measures of psychological adjustment and distress, suggesting that specific religious coping styles—whether internalized religious coping or social religious coping—can differentially impact mental health outcomes following stressful situations. The scale’s utility has been demonstrated across diverse studies, confirming its applicability in various clinical and non-clinical populations.

Reliability

The reliability of the Ways of Religious Coping Scale was established through high measures of internal consistency reported in the original 1995 study. The coefficients of reliability (typically measured by Cronbach’s alpha) were robust for both the overall scale and its respective subscales, indicating that the items within each coping dimension are highly interrelated and consistently measure the intended construct.

The strong internal reliability ensures that the scale provides consistent measurement of an individual’s typical religious response patterns when faced with difficult circumstances, making it a dependable tool for longitudinal research on stress and religious coping.

Factor Analysis

The scale was developed based on exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, which established a clear two-factor structure. This bifactorial model is essential to the scale’s scoring and interpretation:

• The Internal/Private Coping factor groups items related to personal devotional practices, spiritual seeking, repentance, and direct reliance on God (e.g., prayer for strength, confessing to God).
• The External/Social Coping factor groups items related to seeking institutional or communal support, engagement in church activities, and seeking guidance from religious leaders (e.g., talking to clergy, attending support groups).

This distinct factor structure allows researchers to analyze the separate contributions of private faith versus communal support in mitigating the effects of stress.

Instrument

Test Type: Psychological Scale (Self-Report Inventory)

Format: 40 items rated on a 5-point frequency scale (0=not at all/does not apply to 4=always).

Language Available: Primarily English (Original development).

Population Group: General adult population, specifically those who identify with a religious or spiritual tradition.

Age Group: Adults (18 years and older).

Population Details: While general, the scale’s terminology is most closely aligned with Judeo-Christian concepts, though it has been adapted or used in studies involving other faiths.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to recall a general “stressful situation” and report the frequency of their specific religious behaviors and thoughts used in response to that stressor.

Keywords

Psychometrics, spiritual assessment, coping styles, Internal/Private Coping, External/Social Coping, Boudreaux, stress research.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not available in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not available in source content.

Correspondence Address: Information not available in source content.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1995 (Initial publication).

Permissions & Fee: The WORCS is referenced and utilized extensively in academic literature. Users should consult the original journal publication by Boudreaux et al. (1995) for definitive permission requirements. The scale items are publicly documented in various academic papers and dissertations, suggesting general availability for research purposes.

The original PDF of the scale is available at the following links:

• http://www.brandyancoffee.net/uploads/4/6/1/4/4614962/religious_coping_scale.pdf
• http://chipts.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/01/Ways-of-Religious-Coping-Scale-_WORCS_.pdf

Reference’s

• Boudreaux, E., Catz, S., Ryan, L., & Amaral-Melendez, M. (1995). The Ways of Religious Coping Scale: Reliability, validity, and scale development. Assessment, 2(3), 233-244.
• Kulkarni, M. S. (2012). Initial Development and Validation of the Assessment of Beliefs and Behaviors in Coping (ABC). Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The University of Texas at Austin. Available online at: http://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/ETD-UT-2012-08-6020

Items of the Ways of Religious Coping Scale (WORCS)

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

Read each statement and indicate how often you engage in the following behaviors when in a stressful situation. Indicate your answer by circling the number. Please respond to every item.

USE THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

0. not at all/does not apply

1. sometimes

2. often

3. very often

4. always

1. I say prayers.	0 1 2 3 4
2. I read scriptures.	0 1 2 3 4
3. I attend a religious support group.	0 1 2 3 4
4. I allow the holy spirit to direct my actions.	0 1 2 3 4
5. I confess to God.	0 1 2 3 4
6. I do not pray. R	0 1 2 3 4
7. I get support from church members.	0 1 2 3 4
8. I talk to church leaders.	0 1 2 3 4
9. I look for a lesson from God in the situation.	0 1 2 3 4
10. I try to be less sinful	0 1 2 3 4
11. I pray to God for inspiration.	0 1 2 3 4
12. I try to make up for my mistakes.	0 1 2 3 4
13. I put my problems in God’s hands.	0 1 2 3 4
14. I pray for strength.	0 1 2 3 4
15. I talk to church members.	0 1 2 3 4
16. I count my blessings.	0 1 2 3 4
17. I talk to my minister/ preacher	0 1 2 3 4
18. I recall a Scripture.	0 1 2 3 4
19. I stop going to religious services. R	0 1 2 3 4
20. I get help from clergy.	0 1 2 3 4
21. I use a Bible story to help solve a problem.	0 1 2 3 4
22. I pray for the help of a religious figure.	0 1 2 3 4
23. I solve problems without God’s help. R	0 1 2 3 4
24. I ask for God’s forgiveness.	0 1 2 3 4
25. I donate time to a religious cause.	0 1 2 3 4
26. I ask my religious leader for advice.	0 1 2 3 4
27. I share my religious beliefs with others	0 1 2 3 4
28. I think about Jesus as my friend.	0 1 2 3 4
29. I get involved with church activities.	0 1 2 3 4
30. I give money to a religious organization.	0 1 2 3 4
31. I base life decisions on my religious beliefs.	0 1 2 3 4
32. I find peace by going to a religious place.	0 1 2 3 4
33. I ask someone to pray for me.	0 1 2 3 4
34. I ask for a blessing.	0 1 2 3 4
35. I pray for help.	0 1 2 3 4
36. I go to a religious counselor.	0 1 2 3 4
37. I work with God to solve problems.	0 1 2 3 4
38. I find peace sharing problems with God.	0 1 2 3 4
39. I stop reading Scripture. R	0 1 2 3 4
40. I recite a psalm.	0 1 2 3 4