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The daily spiritual experience scale: development, theoretical description, reliability, exploratory factor analysis,
Lynn G Underwood1, Jeanne A Teresi
1Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo, MI 49009, USA. info@fetzer.org
Summary
The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) measures ordinary spiritual experiences. Daily spiritual experiences are linked to better quality of life and reduced alcohol intake.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Sciences
- Sociology
Background:
- Spirituality and religiousness are increasingly studied as health variables.
- Varied measurement approaches lead to ambiguity in understanding spirituality's health implications.
- A standardized measure is needed to clarify these relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development and validation of the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES).
- To provide normative data and explore preliminary construct validity.
- To examine the relationship between daily spiritual experiences and health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Development and psychometric evaluation of the 16-item DSES.
- Exploratory factor analyses and reliability testing (internal consistency).
- Preliminary construct validity assessed through correlations with health-related variables.
Main Results:
- The DSES demonstrated good reliability with internal consistency estimates in the .90s.
- Preliminary findings indicate daily spiritual experience relates to decreased alcohol intake.
- Daily spiritual experience is associated with improved quality of life and positive psychosocial status.
Conclusions:
- The DSES is a reliable and valid measure of ordinary daily spiritual experiences.
- Daily spiritual experiences may positively influence health behaviors and well-being.
- The DSES can be used to further investigate the role of spirituality in health.