Factor Analysis and Gender Invariance of the Four Basic Dimensions of Religiousness Scale in India

What is it about?

Based on studies among developed, western, and predominantly Christian countries, it has been claimed that the four basic dimensions of the religiousness scale (4-BDRS) capture the universality of religiousness. Hinduism is quite different from Semitic religions (has no central religious authority, no clear hierarchy among gods and beliefs, and no basic belief systems- free choice among a large set of beliefs), and India is a developing eastern country. Thus, the study of the factor structure and measurement invariance of the 4-BDRS in a predominantly Hindu population of India (Study I; college students sample; N = 891; age = 21.7 ± 3.42 years; 81.1% Hindus) may be an important cross-cultural validity test. We also tested the external validity of the 4-BDRS in a Christian-community sample (Study II; N = 99, age = 32.09 ± 12.65 years). Results show that the second-order factor structure model of religiousness (in which believing, bonding, behaving, and belonging are the first-order latent factors) was the best fitting model. This factor structure was strongly invariant across gender. Moreover, church-goers had higher religiousness scores than non-goers on the 4-BDRS. Thus, the present study supports the four-dimensional conception of religiousness and its cross-cultural and cross-religious applicability. Specifically, it supports the use of the 4-BDRS as a valid test of religiousness in India.

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Photo by Nishta Sharma on Unsplash

Photo by Nishta Sharma on Unsplash

Why is it important?

In a different religious-cultural context, this study tests the claim that the four basic dimensions of the religiousness scale (4-BDRS) capture the universality of religiousness.

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