Construction and Validation of Religious Practices Scale for Pakistani Muslim Population

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Religious Studies

Background:

• Assessing religious practices is crucial for understanding individual and community well-being.
• Existing measures may not adequately capture the nuances of religious practices within specific cultural and religious contexts, such as the Muslim community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a comprehensive scale measuring religious practices specifically for the Muslim population.
• To ensure the scale possesses strong psychometric properties, including reliability and validity.

Main Methods:

• A multi-study approach was employed, starting with item generation from interviews and literature review.
• Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used to establish the scale's factor structure.
• Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed using established scales and a non-religious measure.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis identified a 29-item, three-factor structure for the Religious Practices Scale.
• Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-dimensional structure, indicating good model fit.
• The scale demonstrated good reliability (0.92 overall) and significant convergent validity, while showing discriminant validity against a friendship scale.

Conclusions:

• The developed Religious Practices Scale is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing religious practices in the Muslim community.
• The scale's robust psychometric properties support its use in research and clinical settings.
• The findings provide a valuable tool for future research on religiosity and its impact within the Muslim population.