The PIOS among the pious: validity of the Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity among Orthodox Jews

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity (PIOS) is the most widely utilised measure of religious obsessive-compulsive disorder. While it has been studied in clinical and community samples, its psychometric properties have not been evaluated among highly religious Orthodox Jewish individuals. This is consequential, as scrupulosity is most likely to occur in religious contexts. In two studies, we examined its factorial structure, reliability, and concurrent validity among: (1) Jewish community members and (2) a small sample of Orthodox Jewish patients presenting for anxiety treatment. Results suggest that it is a reliable and valid psychometric tool that primarily reflects scrupulosity and anxiety, even among devoutly religious Jews. However, the measure may also capture some aspects of normative religiosity among both Orthodox and non-Orthodox community members. Nevertheless, results suggest that the PIOS has research and clinical validity and utility even among the pious, although caution should be utilised in interpreting scores from highly religious samples.