The religious orientation scale revised among spanish catholic people: structural validity and internal consistency of a 21- item Model*

Abstract

The personal religious orientation understood as the motivation behind religious behaviors must be considered as the process that manages and organizes the behavior of those who are religious. Thus, identifying the dimensionality of religiosity is important (Francis, 2007; Kirkpatrick & Hood, 1990). This paper analyzed the structural validity and internal consistency of the 31-item Batson and Ventis Religious Orientation Scale. Participants were 529 Spanish Catholic undergraduates aged between 18 and 55 years, M = 21.55, SD = 4.39. A Principal Component Analysis with Equamax rotation method was performed on the ROS-31 with the randomized 50% of the sample, obtaining a 21-item three-component model (intrinsic, extrinsic, and quest religious orientations). Then, a CFA carried out with the other 50% of the sample showed an adequate fit of the obtained model, SBχ2 (186) = 352.45, p < 0.01, CFI = 0.93, IFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.059 (CI 90% [0.049, 0.067]). The intrinsic scale showed an excellent internal consistency, the quest scale showed good internal consistency, and the extrinsic scale showed an acceptable internal consistency. Future lines of research are suggested in order to clarify the relationship between the religious orientation scales and some psychosocial variables.

La orientación religiosa personal, entendida como la motivación subyacente a las conductas religiosas, debe ser considerada como el proceso que dirige y organiza la conducta de las personas religiosas. Identificar la dimensionalidad de la religiosidad parece, pues, ser importante. Este trabajo analiza la validez estructural y la consistencia interna de la Escala de Orientación Religiosa de Batson y Ventis de 31 ítems (ROS-31). Participaron 529 universitarios españoles con edades entre los 18 y los 55 años, M = 21.55, SD = 4.39. Se llevó a cabo un Análisis de Componentes Principales con rotación Equamax de la ROS-31 con el 50% aleatorio de la muestra, obteniendo un modelo de 3 componentes y 21 ítems (orientación religiosa intrínseca, extrínseca y de búsqueda). Un Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio con el otro 50% aleatorio de la muestra mostró un ajuste adecuado del modelo, SBχ2 (186) = 352.45, p < 0.01, CFI = 0.93, IFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.059 (IC 90% [0.049, 0.067]). La escala de religiosidad intrínseca mostró una consistencia interna excelente, la de búsqueda una consistencia interna buena y la extrínseca una consistencia interna aceptable. Se sugieren líneas futuras de investigación en orden a clarificar la relación entre las escalas de orientación religiosa y algunas variables psicosociales.