Description

The Scriptural Literalism Scale is a psychometric tool designed to assess the extent to which people interpret religious scriptures in a literal way. This scale helps in understanding religious beliefs and their influence on individuals’ behavior and attitudes.

Objective

The main objective of the Scriptural Literalism Scale is to measure the degree of literal belief in religious scriptures. Specifically, the scale aims to:
Assess literal belief: To understand how literally participants interpret religious scriptures and their teachings.
Record effects on social and personal behavior: To examine how literal interpretation of scriptures influences individuals’ attitudes, values, and behaviors.
Examine relationships with other religious and social parameters: To analyze how literal belief relates to tolerance, prejudice, and social attitudes.
Investigate the relationship with personal and psychological development: To understand how literal beliefs affect personal and psychological growth.

Analysis

The analysis of data from the Scriptural Literalism Scale involves evaluating responses to a series of statements that reflect individuals’ stance toward the literal interpretation of religious texts. Participants are asked to express the degree of their agreement or disagreement with statements related to their beliefs about the scriptures. The analysis may reveal patterns and trends in literal beliefs and explore their relationships with other psychological and social parameters.

Scoring

The scoring of the scale is based on a Likert scale, where participants rate the extent to which they agree with statements regarding the literal interpretation of scriptures. The responses are converted into numerical values, which are then used to calculate overall indices of literal belief. This process allows for comparisons of levels of literal belief between different individuals and groups, as well as the analysis of its impact on personal and social life.

References

Hood, R. W., Hill, P. C., & Williamson, W. P. (2005). The Psychology of Religious Fundamentalism. Guilford Press.
Ellison, C. G., & Musick, M. A. (1995). “Conservative Protestantism and Public Opinion Toward Science.” Review of Religious Research.
Altemeyer, B., & Hunsberger, B. (1992). “Authoritarianism, religious fundamentalism, quest, and prejudice.” The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion.