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This study over-viewed the basic scientific issues pertaining to the measurement of spirituality. An empirical framework, based on the five-factor model of personality (FFM), was presented for use in the development and validation of spiritual constructs. The utility of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS) as a psychometrically sound measure was evaluated. Using a sample of undergraduate students that included both self-- report (N = 322) and observer data (N = 188), it was shown that the STS: (a) demonstrated its putative second-order factor structure; (b) was independent of measures of the FFM; (c) evidenced good cross-observer convergence; and (d) predicted a wide range of psychologically salient outcomes, even after controlling for the predictive effects of personality. It was argued that spiritual constructs can be most efficacious when incorporated as part of a multidimensional assessment battery that includes other personality domains.
There is no doubt that spirituality has become a "hot" topic in the social and physical sciences. This increasing professional interest parallels the growing prevalence and salience of spirituality among the general public. Surveys reported in the popular news media indicate that nearly 80% of Americans believe in the power of prayer to improve the course of illness (Wallis, 1996). Health care workers also strongly believe in the power of spirituality and/or religiosity1 to influence the course of medical and psychological interventions as well as the rate of recuperation from chronic illnesses (Feher & Maley, 1999; Kirkpatrick & McCullough, 1999; Rose, 1999). Perhaps the clearest demonstration of the value of spirituality in the area of rehabilitation concerns treatment for chemical dependency (e.g., Borman & Dixon, 1998; Green, Fullilove, & Fullilove, 1998; Warfield & Goldstein, 1996), where this construct is seen as the central curative factor in recovery. Despite such encouraging initial findings, not all the data are supportive (e.g., Fitchett, Rybarczyk, DeMarco, & Nicholas, 1999), and there are certainly many issues, both theoretical (e.g., George, Larson, Koenig, & McCullough, 2000) and empirical (e.g., Bateson, 1997), that still need to be addressed. At the heart of many of these issues is the need for psychometrically sound measures that can be useful in empirically documenting the unique contribution of spirituality in predictions of salient life outcomes. The purpose of this report is to present the Spiritual...