Development of the Sources of Spirituality Scale.

Spirituality can involve a sense of closeness or connection with a theistic being, the transcendent, oneself, humanity, or nature, not just religious forms. Across four studies, the Sources of Spirituality (SOS) Scale was developed and validated to measure these distinct elements. Factor structure was consistent across undergraduate and community adult samples. Construct validity was supported by associations with religious commitment, attitudes toward the Sacred, and connection with nature. Latent profile analysis revealed five distinct patterns of spirituality based on the SOS subscales. The findings have implications for therapy and models of spirituality.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Most measures of spirituality privilege religious spirituality, but people may experience spirituality in a variety of ways, including a sense of closeness, oneness, or connection with a theistic being, the transcendent (i.e., something outside space and time), oneself, humanity, or nature. The overall purpose of the present 4 studies was to develop the Sources of Spirituality (SOS) Scale to measure these different elements of spirituality. In Study 1, we created items, had them reviewed by experts, and used data from a sample of undergraduates (N = 218) to evaluate factor structure and inform initial measurement revisions. The factor structure replicated well in another sample of undergraduates (N = 200; Study 2), and in a sample of community adults (N = 140; Study 3). In a sample of undergraduates (N = 200; Study 4), we then evaluated evidence of construct validity by examining associations between SOS Scale scores and religious commitment, positive attitudes toward the Sacred, and dispositional connection with nature. Moreover, based on latent profile analyses results, we found 5 distinct patterns of spirituality based on SOS subscales. We consider implications for therapy and relevance of the findings for models of spirituality and future research.