Measuring Beliefs About Suffering: Development of the Views of Suffering Scale

被引:57
作者
Hale-Smith, Amy [1 ]
Park, Crystal L.
Edmondson, Donald [2 ]
机构
[1] Univ Connecticut, Dept Psychol, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
[2] Columbia Univ, Med Ctr, Ctr Behav Cardiovasc Hlth, New York, NY 10027 USA
关键词
religious beliefs; theodicy; suffering; measurement; scale development; WORLD ASSUMPTIONS; RELIGION; HEALTH; SPIRITUALITY; PERSONALITY; ATTENDANCE; GOD;
D O I
10.1037/a0027399
中图分类号
B849 [应用心理学];
学科分类号
040203 ;
摘要
Efforts to measure religion have intensified, and many specific dimensions have been identified. However, although belief is a core dimension of all world religions, little attention has been given to assessment of religious beliefs. In particular, 1 essential set of religious beliefs, those concerning the reasons for human suffering, has remained virtually unexamined despite the potential clinical relevance of these beliefs. To fill the need for a measure of people's beliefs about suffering, we developed the Views of Suffering Scale (VOSS). Analyses identified factors related to traditional Christian teachings, unorthodox theistic beliefs, karma, and randomness. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability for VOSS subscale scores were good (alpha s and rs >= .70). Comparisons to measures of related constructs suggest that the VOSS scores demonstrate good convergent validity. One subscale score was modestly correlated with social desirability related to image management, and 7 were positively correlated to self-deceptive enhancement. These preliminary studies suggest that the VOSS differentiates religious perspectives on suffering among a sample of U.S. university students, though more research is needed to confirm its utility in diverse populations. The VOSS provides a valid way to measure individuals' beliefs about suffering, allowing for inquiry into the factors that lead to various beliefs about suffering and the roles of these beliefs in adjusting to stressful life events.
引用
收藏
页码:855 / 866
页数:12
相关论文
共 50 条
[21]   Measuring the suffering of end-stage dementia: reliability and validity of the Mini-Suffering State Examination [J].
Aminoff, BZ ;
Purits, E ;
Noy, S ;
Adunsky, A .
ARCHIVES OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS, 2004, 38 (02) :123-130
[22]   Why We Should Be Experientialists about Suffering [J].
Brady, Michael S. .
CAMBRIDGE QUARTERLY OF HEALTHCARE ETHICS, 2025,
[23]   The Christian Sanctification of Suffering Scale: measure development and relationship to well-being [J].
Hall, M. Elizabeth Lewis ;
McMartin, Jason ;
Wang, David ;
Shannonhouse, Laura ;
Aten, Jamie D. ;
Silverman, Eric J. ;
Decker, Lauren A. .
MENTAL HEALTH RELIGION & CULTURE, 2021, 24 (08) :796-813
[24]   The Relationship Between Observing Religious Beliefs and Suffering in Hemodialysis Patients [J].
Okhli, Atieh ;
Hojjati, Hamid ;
Sadeghloo, Adeleh ;
Molaei, Ameneh ;
Shahrabady, Saemeh .
JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH, 2022, 61 (03) :2018-2028
[25]   Religious and spiritual beliefs in outpatients suffering from Parkinson Disease [J].
Giaquinto, S. ;
Bruti, L. ;
Dall'Armi, V. ;
Palma, E. ;
Spiridigliozzi, C. .
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, 2011, 26 (09) :916-922
[26]   The Relationship Between Observing Religious Beliefs and Suffering in Hemodialysis Patients [J].
Atieh Okhli ;
Hamid Hojjati ;
Adeleh Sadeghloo ;
Ameneh Molaei ;
Saemeh Shahrabady .
Journal of Religion and Health, 2022, 61 :2018-2028
[27]   Measuring Lay Conceptions of Well-Being: The Beliefs About Well-Being Scale [J].
Ethan A. McMahan ;
David Estes .
Journal of Happiness Studies, 2011, 12 :267-287
[28]   Female Suffering After Blunt Trauma and the Need to be Cared for and Cared About [J].
Filhour, Louis D. .
JOURNAL OF TRAUMA NURSING, 2019, 26 (05) :247-256
[29]   Hearing the voice of the family: narratives about suffering and spirituality [J].
Angelo, Margareth .
MUNDO DA SAUDE, 2010, 34 (04) :437-443
[30]   Sovereignty over Illness. About an Ethics of Suffering [J].
Brigati, Roberto .
IRIDE-FILOSOFIA E DISCUSSIONE PUBBLICA, 2014, 27 (02) :411-425