Dimensions of Religiosity, 1988

DOI

10.17605/OSF.IO/YGMJ3

Summary

The Computer Administered Panel Study (CAPS) collected demographic, personality, attitudinal, and other social psychological data from annual samples of University of North Carolina undergraduates from 1983 through 1988. Respondents spent 60 to 90 minutes per week for 20 weeks during the academic year answering questions via computer terminals. In their comparison of demographic and academic variables, researchers found few significant differences between respondents and the general undergraduate population. This dataset measures five dimensions of religiosity, which consist of a 21-item scale, adapted from Faulkner and DeJong (1966).

Data File

Cases: 97
Variables: 34
Weight Variable: None

Data Collection

1988

Funded By

The Odum Institute for Research in Social Science

Collection Procedures

Each year of the study, a random sample of registered University of North Carolina undergraduates were invited to attend an orientation session about the project. Individuals were then chosen to participate on the basis of scheduling compatibility. Each week for 20 weeks, respondents spent 60 to 90 minutes during the academic year answering questions via computer terminals. Respondents were paid a base rate of $4 to $5 per completed weekly session and an average of $2 per session more in rewards and bonuses, including a chance at a substantial end-of-year bonus designed to keep subject attrition low. This information about the survey is taken from the Odum Institute's summary of the CAPS program.

Principal Investigators

The Odum Institute for Research in Social Science

Notes

When citing this study, the following information should be included:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
(insert study date(s)) Computer Assisted Panel Study (CAPS)
[Computer file]. Chapel Hill: Institute for Research in Social Science [producer]. Module (insert name of specific CAPS module(s) here).

For SID

Because the subject's ID is derived from the CAPS year and a sequential number, respondents can be tracked for an entire year's worth of experiments. Datasets can also be merged using the respondent's ID. The original SID, as we received it from the primary investigator, had an underscore between the year and the ID number. The underscore was deleted to make the variable numeric, but the SID was not changed in any other way.


Unlike previous years, the 1988 Dimensions of Religiosity data file did not include the scales, which the survey data was designed to measure. Nevertheless, below we give the instructions for making the scales from the survey data and explain what each would measure.


1. Ideological or Belief Scale:
This scale includes five questions concerning the end of the world, the nature of the Deity, the necessity for repentance of sins, the acting of God in history, and the view of the Bible. The following statement explains how it was coded:


IDEOLOG=IDEOLOGICAL SCALE;
IF WORLD=1 THEN WORLD1=1;
ELSE IF WORLD=2 OR WORLD=3 THEN WORLD1=0;
IF IDEAS=1 THEN IDEA1=1;
ELSE IF 2 LE IDEAS LE 6 THEN IDEA1=0;
IF REPENT=1 THEN REPENT1=1;
ELSE IF REPENT=2 OR REPENT=3 THEN REPENT1=0;
IF GODACT=1 THEN GODACT1=1;
ELSE IF GODACT=2 OR GODACT=3 THEN GODACT1=0;
IF BIBLE=1 OR BIBLE=2 THEN BIBLE1=1;
ELSE IF BIBLE=3 OR BIBLE=4 THEN BIBLE1=0;
IDEOLOG=WORLD1+IDEA1+REPENT1+GODACT1+BIBLE1;
One point is added to the scale for each item if a traditionally religious view is expressed. For each variable in the scale the traditionally religious response is indicated below:


WORLD=1
IDEAS=1
REPENT=1
GODACT=1
BIBLE=1 OR 2
2. Intellectual Scale:
This three-item scale is composed of items concerning the Biblical story of creation, miracles in the Bible, and the identification of books of the Old Testament. The following statement explains how it was coded:


INTELLC=INTELLECTUAL SCALE;
IF CREATION=1 THEN CREATE1=1;
ELSE IF CREATION=2 OR CREATION=3 THEN CREATE1=0;
IF MIRICLE=1 THEN MIRACLE1=1;
ELSE IF MIRACLE=2 OR MIRACLE=3 THEN MIRACLE1=0;
IF 0 LE BOOKSCOR LE 2 THEN BKSCORE1=0;
ELSE IF 3 LE BOOKSCORE LE 5 THEN BKSCORE=1;
INTELLC=CREATE1+MIRACLE1+BKSCORE1;
One point is added to the scale for each item if a traditionally religious view is expressed. For each variable in the scale the traditionally religious response is indicated below:


CREATION=1
MIRACLE=1
OLDTESTA to E=Three or more Old Testament books correctly identified
3. Experiential Scale:
This scale consists of five items pertaining to purpose in life, security in the face of death, interpretation of existence, the importance of faith, and a sense of union with the divine. The following statement explains how it was coded:


EXPERIEN=EXPERIENTIAL SCALE;
IF PURPOSE=1 THEN PURPOSE1=1;
ELSE IF PURPOSE=2 OR PURPOSE=3 THEN PURPOSE1=0;
IF CLOSEGOD=2 OR CLOSEGOD=3 THEN CLOSE1=1;
ELSE IF CLOSEGOD=0 OR CLOSEGOD=1 THEN CLOSE1=0;
IF DEATH=1 THEN DEATH1=1;
ELSE IF DEATH=2 OR DEATH=3 THEN DEATH1=0;
IF EXIST=1 OR EXIST=2 THEN EXIST1=1;
ELSE IF EXIST=3 THEN EXIST1=0;
IF FAITH=1 THEN FAITH1=1;
ELSE IF FAITH=2 OR FAITH=3 THEN FAITH1=0;
EXPERIEN=PURPOSE1+CLOSE1+DEATH1+EXIST1+FAITH1;
One point is added to the scale for each item if a traditionally religious view is expressed. For each variable in the scale the traditionally religious response is indicated below:


PURPOSE=1
CLOSEGOD= 2 or 3
DEATH=1
EXIST=1 or 2
FAITH=1
4. Ritualism Scale:
This scale consists of five items concerning time spent reading the Bible and other religious literature, church attendance, prayer, the possibility of developing a well-rounded religious life apart from the institutional church, and the choice between a religious or a civil marriage ceremony. The following statement explains how it was coded:


RITUAL=RITUALISTIC SCALE;
IF CHURCH=3 THEN CHURCH1=1;
ELSE IF CHURCH=1 OR CHURCH=2 THEN CHURCH1=0;
IF READBIB=1 OR READBIB=2 THEN READBIB1=1;
ELSE IF READBIB=0 THEN READBIB1=0;
IF WORSHIP=2 OR WORSHIP=3 THEN WORSHIP1=1;
ELSE IF WORSHIP=1 THEN WORSHIP1=0;
IF PRAYER=3 OR PRAYER=4 THEN PRAYER1=1;
ELSE IF PRAYER=1 OR PRAYER=2 THEN PRAYER1=0;
IF MARRIAGE=1 THEN MARRY1=1;
ELSE IF MARRIAGE=2 OR MARRIAGE=3 THEN MARRY1=0;
RITUAL=CHURCH1+READBIB1+WORSHIP1+PRAYER1+MARRY1;
One point is added to the scale for each item if a traditionally religious view is expressed. For each variable in the scale the traditionally religious response is indicated below:


CHURCH=1
READBIB=1 or 2
WORSHIP= 2 or 3
PRAYER=3 or 4
MARRIAGE=1
5. Consequential Scale
This five-item scale includes three items about the operation of non-essential businesses on the Sabbath, premarital sexual relations, and religious orientation of political candidates. The following statement explains how it was coded:


CONSEQ=CONSEQUENTIAL SCALE;
IF SABBATH=1 THEN SABB1=1;
ELSE IF SABBATH=2 OR SABBATH=3 THEN SABB1=0;
IF PRESEX=1 THEN PRESEX1=1;
ELSE IF PRESEX=2 THEN PRESEX1=0;
IF POLITICS=1 OR POLITICS=2 THEN POLITIC1=1;
ELSE IF E LE POLITICS LE 5 THEN POLITIC1=0;
CONSEQ=SABB1+PRESEX1+POLITIC1;
One point is added to the scale for each item if a traditionally religious view is expressed. For each variable in the scale the traditionally religious response is indicated below:


SABBATH=1
SEX=1
POLITICS=1 or 2