The Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale: Development and psychometric validation.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Growing interest in near-death experiences (NDEs) necessitates reliable measurement tools.
• Existing scales, like Greyson's NDE scale (1983), require reassessment for psychometric properties.
• Accurate identification of NDEs is crucial for empirical research and reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reassess the psychometric properties of Greyson's NDE scale.
• To validate the newly developed Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale for comprehensive NDE quantification.
• To establish a reliable instrument for NDE research.

Main Methods:

• Psychometric analyses including internal consistency, construct validity, and concurrent validity were performed on Greyson's NDE scale.
• A new 20-item NDE-C scale was developed based on empirical evidence.
• Internal consistency, factor analyses (exploratory and confirmatory), concurrent validity, and discriminant validity were conducted on the NDE-C scale.

Main Results:

• Greyson's NDE scale exhibited several psychometric weaknesses.
• The NDE-C scale demonstrated a robust 5-factor structure.
• The NDE-C scale showed very good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.85) and strong concurrent validity (correlations > 0.76).

Conclusions:

• The NDE-C scale offers superior psychometric properties compared to existing measures.
• This validated scale provides a reliable and comprehensive tool for quantifying near-death experiences.
• The NDE-C scale is expected to significantly advance empirical research on NDEs.