The nature of mind scale (NOMS): Validation of an eight-dimensional scale assessing beliefs about the relationship between mind and matter.
Matthias Forstmann, Pascal Burgmer
Consciousness and cognition January 1, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2025.103961 via PubMed
Summary
The Nature of Mind Scale (NOMS) was developed to assess lay beliefs about eight philosophical positions on the mind-body relationship, validated with 1074 participants. It identified an eight-factor structure, with interactionism, non-reductive physicalism, and mystical monism being the most endorsed positions. The scale showed good model fit, measurement invariance, and strong construct validity through correlations with various psychological constructs. It offers a comprehensive yet practical tool for studying diverse mind-body beliefs.
Study at a glance
| Design | scale validation |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,074 |
| Population | participants assessing beliefs about the mind-body relationship |
| Key finding | Participants most strongly endorsed interactionism, non-reductive physicalism, and mystical monism, while showing the least support for idealism. |
Abstract
We developed and validated the Nature of Mind Scale (NOMS), a 24-item measure assessing lay beliefs about eight distinct philosophical positions on the mind-body relationship. Given the limitations of existing measures and the theoretical diversity of mind-body positions, our goal was to develop a comprehensive yet practical scale that could capture the full range of philosophical stances without reducing them to overly simplified dimensions. Across four studies with 1074 participants, we established the NOMS's psychometric properties and nomological network. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we identified an eight-factor structure representing belief in substance dualism, interactionism, panpsychism, idealism, reductive physicalism, non-reductive physicalism, mystical monism, and neutral monism. Participants most strongly endorsed interactionism, non-reductive physicalism, and mystical monism, while showing the least support for idealism. The scale demonstrated good model fit and strong evidence of measurement invariance across samples. Convergent validity was established through correlations with existing mind-body belief measures. Construct validity was supported by theoretically consistent relationships with religiosity, free will beliefs, cognitive style, personality traits, and afterlife beliefs. The NOMS represents an extension of previous measures of mind-body relations, capturing the multifaceted nature of these beliefs while maintaining sufficient brevity for practical research applications.