Variability within the Theological Concept of Behavior of the Beliefs-About-Behavior Inventory

Abstract

The Beliefs-About-Behavior Inventory, designed to identify 3 concepts about behavior as theological, illness, psychological, was administered to 116 religious professionals, including Protestant seminarians, Roman Catholic priests and nuns, and pastoral counselors. Wide variability was discovered within these theological groups and between these groups and the original criterion groups. When groups were combined and then divided in terms of liberal-conservative categories, the theological scale differentiated better, suggesting that the theological scale may be biased toward a particular type of theological way of thinking (conservative) rather than a general theological cognitive style per se. Several possible explanations for the variability are suggested.