Spiritual Transcendence Scale Research Articles

Spirituality is associated with immune parameters and disease activity in primary Sjögren’s syndrome: a cross-sectional study

The role of spirituality in health and disease is a complex and emerging area of research. Incorporating spirituality into the bio-psycho-social model of health and disease leading to the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model provides a more comprehensive framework. In this context, chronic disorders like primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) are of interest due to their intricate interactions between biological, psychological, and spiritual factors. This study explored the relationship between spirituality, immune parameters, and disease activity in pSS patients. Data from 108 patients were analyzed, including self-assessed spirituality (answering to direct questions and completing the Spiritual Transcendence Scale), immunological parameters and disease activity scores. The findings revealed several associations. Individuals with spiritual attitudes or engaged in regular prayer/meditation showed lower serum levels of autoantibodies specific to pSS and lower disease activity scores. Spiritual engagement was also linked to decreased perceived skin and tracheal dryness, suggesting potential benefits for physical symptoms. These findings suggest that spirituality may play a significant role in modulating immune responses and disease activity in pSS patients. The study underscores the importance of considering spirituality as an integral part of the holistic approach to health and disease, further expanding the understanding of the interconnectedness of biological, psychological, and spiritual dimensions.

Patient and illness factors influencing fear of recurrence in breast cancer women

To analyse the factors influencing the fear of recurrence in breast cancer, including age, spirituality, length of illness, stage of cancer and the cycles of chemotherapy. The cross-sectional observational study was conducted from November 2021 to February 2022 at Dr Soepraoen Army Hospital and Baptis Hospital, East Java, Indonesia, and comprised breast cancer patients who had received at least one cycle of chemotherapy. Data was collected using the modified Spiritual Transcendence Scale questionnaire as well as from the patient's medical record. Data were analysed using univariate and linear regression. There were 135 subjects with a mean age of 47.14±6.36 years (range: 27-60 years). The largest group comprised patients with stage III disease 61(45.2%). Variables affecting the fear of recurrence was length of illness (p=0,007) and spirituality (p=0,001). Patients who had better spirituality value had lower fear of recurrence.

Psychometrics properties of the spiritual transcendence scale (STS) among Iranian university students

ABSTRACT In this cross sectional study, the subjects were 390 students. The findings revealed two components of spiritual transcendence and spiritual openness and also the questions that had high factor loadings with these components are largely consistent with the findings of the scale’s authors. Construct validity and reliability were ascertained and the goodness of fit was determined for the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (KMO: 91). The ensemble of the model’s coefficients are x2/sd = 418.39, RMESEA = .68, NFI = .95, CFI = .97. Results showed that the exploratory two-factor analysis (EFA) of this research is good-fitted without the need for modification.

Selected determinants of spirituality among nurses

Abstract Introduction. Spirituality has a multi-dimensional nature which influences the professional activities of nurses in a caring profession. Aim. Identifying selected determinants of spirituality among nurses and their relationship with socio-demographic factors. Material and methods. Research was conducted in 2018 on 144 nurses. All of the respondents were active in their profession. The research was made with diagnostic survey method using standardized research tools, including a Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ), the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS), and the Brief Religious Coping (RCOPE) questionnaire, (BR). Results. It was established that age and professional seniority positively correlate with Religious Attitude (SDQ), p<0.05; Transcendence Proper (STS), p<0.01; and with positive religious stress-coping strategies (BR), p<0.01. It shows that a declaration of relationship to faith positively correlates with the subscales of the questionnaire (SDQ), i.e. Religious Attitude (r=0.247, p<0.01), Ethical sensitivity (rho=0.230, p<0.01), and Harmony (r=0.218, p<0.05). Moreover, a strong correlation was confirmed with Transcendence Proper (STS), r=0.40, p<0.01, and with positive religious strategies for coping with stress (BR), r=0.505, p<0.01, and declared relationship to faith. Conclusions. The dimensions of spirituality are significantly related to age, seniority, declaration of attitude to faith, and positive religious stress-coping strategies. Predictors of spirituality among nurses are place of residence, spiritual openness and negative religious stress-coping strategies.

Nurses' spiritual attitudes and involvement-Validation of the Polish version of the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List.

BackgroundSpirituality is vital in the holistic approach to nursing care. The personal spirituality of nurses has been documented to have an impact on the spiritual nursing care they provide.AimTo validate the Polish version of the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List (SAIL) among nurses and to describe spiritual attitudes and involvement of nurses as measured with the tool.DesignA cross-sectional, validation study was performed according to the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology guidelines.MethodsStudy involving 163 nurses, with the use of four tools: (a) the SAIL; (b) the Self-Description Questionnaire; (c) the Scale of Spiritual Transcendence; and (d) the Brief Religious Coping questionnaire.ResultsThe Explanatory Factor Analysis identified six factors and 25 items were retained explaining a total variance of 67.96%. In the Confirmative Factor Analysis, acceptable index fit values were obtained. Correlations were found between SAIL and the Brief Religious Coping questionnaire, the Self-Description Questionnaire, and the Spiritual Transcendence Scale. Nurses reported the highest scores on ‘Meaningfulness’ (= 4.95 out of 6.0, Standard Deviation [SD] 0.56) and the lowest on the ‘Transcendent Experiences’ factor (= 3.21 out of 6.0, SD 0.93). A strong correlation was found between ‘Spiritual Activities’ and the religious involvement of nurses (r = 0.506), and between ‘Connectedness with nature’ and the nurses’ age and work experience (r = 0.315 and r = 0.321, respectively).ConclusionThe Polish version of SAIL shows acceptable psychometric properties and construct validity. With the validation of SAIL, future studies can be undertaken with the aim of measuring the personal spirituality of nurses in various settings (hospital vs. community), cultures, and countries, thus increasing the opportunity to compare findings. Moreover, more studies should be performed in order to assess whether there is any connection between personal spirituality and the spiritual nursing care provided to patients.

Five-Factor Model Personality Traits and Self-Classified Religiousness and Spirituality.

A review of the literature investigating the relationship between religion and spirituality and broad personality traits reveals methodological limitations. The present study sought to contribute to the present literature by investigating differences on personality traits among men and women who identified as either religious only (R), spiritual only (S), both spiritual and religious (B), or neither spiritual nor religious (N). One thousand thirty-seven (1037) adults (M age = 36.34, SD = 12.62) participated online via Amazon's Mechanical Turk as part of a larger study and completed the IPIP-NEO-120, Spiritual Transcendence Scale, Duke University Religion Index, and demographic information. Results revealed that men were more likely to identify as R and N than women, and women were more likely to identify as B than men. Women showed more significant differences among Big Five traits than men. Compared to other women, R-women reported the lowest levels of Openness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, and highest levels of Extraversion. N-women reported the highest levels of Neuroticism, while S-women reported highest Openness. Among men, R-men reported the lowest Openness, and S-men reported the highest Openness. B-men reported higher Extraversion than N-men. Additionally, Big Five traits appeared to account for significantly more variance in self-reported religiousness for women than men. Implications of these findings and recommendations for future research are provided and discussed.

Five-Factor Structure of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale and Its Relationship with Clinical Psychological Distress in Emerging Adults

This study examined the factor structure of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS) and its relation to clinically significant psychological distress in 644 (445 female) emerging adults from a private, Catholic university. The STS is broadly used in psychological research as a measure of spirituality. However, previous work has identified extensive psychometric problems with the STS, including variable factor structures and poor internal consistencies for its subscales. Results from exploratory factor analyses suggested a five-factor structure that accounted for over 57% of variance. Confirmatory factor analyses suggested this five-factor structure provided significantly better fit than the originally purported three-factor structure. Females reported significantly higher STS scores. Males with low reported spirituality reported significantly greater (and clinically significant) symptoms of psychological distress than lowly and moderately spiritual males. Females reporting low, moderate, and high levels of spirituality did not report significantly different levels of psychological distress. The findings provided contrasting conclusions from previous psychometric work on the STS, encourage continued study of its dimensionality across populations, and suggest a unique relationship between the STS and clinically significant psychological distress in emerging adults.

Strange-face Illusions During Interpersonal-Gazing and Personality Differences of Spirituality

Strange-face illusions are produced when two individuals gaze at each other in the eyes in low illumination for more than a few minutes. Usually, the members of the dyad perceive numinous apparitions, like the other's face deformations and perception of a stranger or a monster in place of the other, and feel a short lasting dissociation. In the present experiment, the influence of the spirituality personality trait on strength and number of strange-face illusions was investigated. Thirty participants were preliminarily tested for superstition (Paranormal Belief Scale, PBS) and spirituality (Spiritual Transcendence Scale, STS); then, they were randomly assigned to 15 dyads. Dyads performed the intersubjective gazing task for 10 minutes and, finally, strange-face illusions (measured through the Strange-Face Questionnaire, SFQ) were evaluated. The first finding was that SFQ was independent of PBS; hence, strange-face illusions during intersubjective gazing are authentically perceptual, hallucination-like phenomena, and not due to superstition. The second finding was that SFQ depended on the spiritual-universality scale of STS (a belief in the unitive nature of life; e.g., "there is a higher plane of consciousness or spirituality that binds all people") and the two variables were negatively correlated. Thus, strange-face illusions, in particular monstrous apparitions, could potentially disrupt binding among human beings. Strange-face illusions can be considered as 'projections' of the subject's unconscious into the other's face. In conclusion, intersubjective gazing at low illumination can be a tool for conscious integration of unconscious 'shadows of the Self' in order to reach completeness of the Self.

Differential Effects of Family Structure on Religion and Spirituality of Emerging Adult Males and Females

This study examined measures of religion and spirituality in a sample of male and female emerging adult college students whose parents were either divorced or intact using the Personal Religious Inventory, the Duke University Religion Index, the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, the Spiritual Transcendence Scale, and the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale. Data were collected online, and 66% of participants received extra credit for participating. A main effect of sex was found, as females reported significantly higher scores than men on all but one measure of religion and spirituality, and the dataset was separated by sex. No differences were found between males from divorced and intact families. However, females from intact families scored significantly higher on all religion and spirituality measures than females from divorced families. This study suggests that females may respond differently than males to their parents' divorce in the context of religion and spirituality, and discusses possible reasons.

Is workplace spirituality associated with business ethics?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically explore the potential association between spirituality and business ethics in a hotel workplace. Design/methodology/approach – A scenario-based quantitative approach was used to collect data from 165 practicing professionals in the hotel industry. Findings – The results show that spirituality, as measured by the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS), did not correlate significantly with measures of ethical perception, ethical judgment, ethical intention or perceived moral intensity. There was, however, evidence to suggest that spirituality may be able to contribute incrementally to future research. Research limitations/implications – This study demonstrates that the dynamic associations between spirituality and ethics may produce different outcomes in different industry settings. Practical implications – If hotel companies focus on developing ethical standards, the effects on the business ethics of managers could be considerably greater than relying on the spirituality of managers or the encouragement of expression of spirituality in the workplace. Originality/value – Although the relationship between spirituality and ethics seems to be sensible, the empirical assessments on how managers’ workplace spirituality relate to their business ethics is notably lacking. The present study sought to fill this gap in literature.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale in a Chinese Sample: Is There Factorial Invariance Across Gender, Occupation, and Religion?

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the reliability and validity of the widely used 23-item Spiritual Transcendence Scale and tested whether there was factorial invariance of the scale by demographic variables such as gender, occupation, and religion in a large Chinese sample (n = 1,894). Exploratory factor analysis with a random subsample supported the original 3-factor structure (prayer fulfillment, universality, and connectedness) in a revised 16-item scale. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that a 15-item model provided a good fit to the data of the remaining subsample. The scale had alpha reliabilities ranging from .64 to .92 in the exploratory factor analysis and .60 to .92 in the confirmatory factor analysis. Subsequent factorial invariance tests indicated that the scale was invariant across gender and occupation but not religion. Evidence of construct validity was equivocal. Additional empirical studies should be conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the scale in other culturally and religiously diverse settings.

Spiritual Transcendence and Mental Health of Psychotherapists and Religious Professionals in a Hungarian Adult Sample

In this study we examine whether components of spiritual transcendence can explain individual differences in mental health in a Hungarian adult sample (N = 583), with a special focus on the associations in two subsamples, religious professionals and psychotherapists. Using the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS), we found that religious professionals presented higher Prayer Fulfillment and Universality than psychotherapists; however, members of both professional groups scored higher than other professionals on these dimensions. By contrast, psychotherapists were superior to religious professionals in Connectedness. Moreover, higher Universality predicted better mental health, even after controlling for gender, age, profession, and basic personality traits. No interaction effects were found between profession and the subscales of the STS. Results suggest that the potential mental health benefits of spirituality, especially in form of a universal view of existence, are equally present in both specific professions and in the general sample, whereas the professions themselves still reflect differences both in spirituality and in well-being.

Forgiveness as a Mediator for the Relationship between Spirituality and Posttraumatic Growth in Aceh Conflict Victims, Indonesia

People in Aceh are still suffering from a highly traumatic experience of Aceh conflict. As a religious community, Acehnese people believe that forgiveness is righteous. The purpose of the present study was to examine the mediational role of forgiveness on the relationship between spirituality and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Two hundred sixty-eight participants were recruited to complete the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), and the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS). Results based on Sobel analyses revealed that forgiveness mediated the relationship between spirituality and PTG. Implications of these findings for future research on PTG and forgiveness are discussed.

Changing Trends in Ritual Attendance and Spirituality throughout the College Years

According to previous literature, levels of religiousness decrease among emerging adults, but similar research has not been done regarding levels of spirituality. The current study examined the responses of college students to measures of religiousness and spirituality. The participants in the study were from a private, religiously affiliated university in the Midwest, between ages 18 and 24. Participants completed the Personal Religious Inventory (PRI), the Duke Religion Index (DUREL), the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS), the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) and the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (SIBS). Significant differences were found between first-year and upper-class participants on religious attendance, non-religious attendance, and the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale. Based on these results, it is suggested that multi-dimensional measures provide a more accurate view of religiousness than one-dimensional measures.

Investigation of the factor structure of spirituality and religiosity in Iranian Shiite university students

One of the important challenges facing psychologists of religion pertains to the definition of religiosity and spirituality. One way of understanding the connection between these two concepts is to suppose that one of them is a subset of the other. Another useful and sensitive way, however, is to view spirituality and religiosity as overlapping constructs, sharing some characteristics but also retaining nonshared features. Empirical studies examining the factor structure of spirituality and religiosity are scant and almost all of them come from Western culture. These factor analytic studies generally confirm that religiosity and spirituality can best be described in terms of two distinct yet correlated factors. To date, no study has investigated the relationship between these two constructs in Islamic cultures. To redress this imbalance, confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of religiosity and spirituality in two Iranian Shiite samples using an extensive set of scales (including Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith, Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale - Revised, Spiritual Meaning Scale, and Spiritual Transcendence Scale). Two hypothetical models were tested: a model that viewed spirituality and religiosity as correlated but separate constructs and a model that combined the indicators of religiosity and spirituality into a single construct. In keeping with the results obtained in Western cultures, results of confirmatory factor analyses, conducted in Study 1 (N=225) and Study 2 (N=288), revealed that a two-factor model fitted the data better than a single-factor model. Implications of the results are discussed, as are study limitations and directions for further research.

Examining spirituality and intrinsic religious orientation as a means of coping with exam anxiety

Spirituality and religiosity have traditionally had a troubled relationship with psychology. However, a new field of study has emerged that is examining the health benefits of spirituality and religion. The current study examined the relationship between spirituality, religiosity and coping among a group of university students facing exams. Participants completed the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Age Universal Religious Orientation Scale, Spiritual Transcendence Scale, Brief COPE, Test Anxiety Inventory, and State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Regression analyses found that existential well-being as measured by the Spiritual Well Being Scale was the best predictor of reduced anxiety. Maladaptive coping, however, was found to be inversely related to spirituality and religiosity, but highly predictive of elevated anxiety in this sample. Strengths and limitations of this study along with recommendations for further research are made.

The association of religiosity, spirituality, and ethnic background with ego-pathology in acute schizophrenia

Studies have highlighted the impact of ego-consciousness, religiosity and spirituality on psychotic symptoms, although so far no study has investigated if and how these factors may be interrelated. In this exploratory cross-sectional study, involving 42 patients with a diagnosis of acute paranoid schizophrenia (DSM-IV), we assessed religiosity (Religious Orientation Test) spirituality (Spiritual Transcendence Scale) and ego-pathology (Ego Pathology Inventory) and analysed any relationship with these and psychopathological symptoms (Positive and Negative Symptom Scale). The subjects were divided into four ethnic groups (Caucasian, Afro-Caribbean, African, and Asian) and a structured, qualitative interview on religious needs and self-concepts was also conducted. Using a multivariate analysis, we found statistically significant negative associations between the scores on ego and common pathology and religiosity and spirituality as covariates. This was seen across all ethnic groups. The findings are discussed in respect of the potential clinical importance of ethnic, religious and spiritual factors for assessment and management of patients with schizophrenia.

The empirical and conceptual value of the spiritual transcendence and religious involvement scales for personality research.

Despite their wide usage, the constructs of spirituality and religiosity have no universally accepted definitions, and very little research has examined how these numinous constructs relate both to one another and to established personality dimensions. Two studies are presented that examined the factor structure of a motivationally based measure of spirituality, the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS) and a behaviorally based measure of religiosity, the Religious Involvement Scale (RIS). Three causal models examining their relationships to one another and to psychological measures of growth and maturity, as well as their incremental validity in predicting a wide array of psychosocial outcomes over the influence of the Five-Factor Model domains were examined. Employing self and observer ratings and American and Filipino samples, the results demonstrated that these robust, cross-culturally generalizable scales provided insights into people not contained by traditional personality variables. The conceptual implications of these results were discussed.

Transformational Leadership and Pastoral Leader Effectiveness

In this study multiple variables as they relate to pastoral leader effectiveness were examined. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), NEO-Five Factor Inventory (FFI), and Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS) were used to measure the leadership styles, personality, and spirituality of 93 pastors and assess which variable predicted pastoral leadership effectiveness. The results indicated that transformational leadership style showed significant correlations with pastoral leader effectiveness; only one dimension of the MLQ’s transformational leadership scale (individual consideration) was a significant predictor of pastoral leader effectiveness. Other limited findings suggest that personality and spirituality also contributed to pastoral leadership effectiveness.

Exploring the Role of Spirituality in the Context of the Five Factor Model of Personality in a South African Sample

The study explored the relationship between the Five Factor Model of personality and spirituality by using the NEO PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS) (Piedmont, 1999) respectively. Participants were 94 psychology undergraduate students at a large South African university (mean age = 19.1 years; SD =1.43, males =19, females=75). Data were analyzed using both correlations as well as principal components analysis with varimax rotation. Evidence from both correlations and factor analysis suggest separate domains within the FFM as well as a separate factor for spirituality. These results provide support for claims that aspects of spirituality are not accounted for by the FFM as operationalised by the NEO-PI-R and by implication the FFM may not be a complete taxonomy of personality.