The nature of mind scale (NOMS): Validation of an eight-dimensional scale assessing beliefs about the relationship between mind and matter.
Consciousness and cognition January 1, 2026 Matthias Forstmann, Pascal Burgmer
A new 24-item questionnaire, the Nature of Mind Scale (NOMS), reliably measures eight distinct philosophical views about the relationship between mind and body, including substance dualism, interactionism, panpsychism, idealism, reductive and non-reductive physicalism, mystical monism, and neutral monism. Across four studies with 1,074 participants, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the eight-factor structure. Participants most strongly endorsed interactionism, non-reductive physicalism, and mystical monism, and least supported idealism. The scale showed good model fit, measurement invariance, and convergent validity with existing measures. Construct validity was supported by expected links with religiosity, free will beliefs, cognitive style, personality, and afterlife beliefs.