Worldview psychology and the representation of spirituality, naturalism, and agnosticism: conceptualisation and psychometric measurement

Abstract

Objective: The study of spirituality, naturalism, and agnosticism has been hindered by assumptions about their organisation, where naturalism has been treated as a lack of spirituality, and agnosticism as a construct “in-between” spirituality and naturalism. The psychology of worldviews encourages conceptualisations of these belief systems as distinct constructs. The aim of this study was to develop conceptual definition and psychometric measurement for spirituality, naturalism, and agnosticism. Method: The current project used exploratory factor analysis (N = 412) to develop a measure for spirituality, naturalism, and agnosticism. Confirmatory factor analyses were then used in two further samples (N = 1056; 873) to refine and validate the measure. Results: The final inventory measured spirituality (and mysticism), naturalism, and agnosticism with 35-items across 8-factors. The measure showed good model fit and evidence of construct validity. Conclusions: Findings provide insight into the structural relationships between mysticism, spirituality, naturalism, and agnosticism. This study also provides a new tool for investigating these worldview constructs comprehensively. Rather than considered as mutually exclusive categories or linear positions on a unidimensional spectrum, they can be treated as distinct individual difference variables with both overlapping and diverse impacts. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) Worldviews are systems of belief about fundamental aspects of reality. (2) Spirituality, naturalism, and agnosticism are three distinct worldviews. (3) Naturalism and agnosticism have been overlooked in psychological research due to assumptions about their structure. What this topic adds: (1) Conceptual differentiation of spirituality, naturalism, and agnosticism as distinct worldviews in psychology. (2) Psychometric scale development to measure spirituality, naturalism, and agnosticism.

Keywords

• worldviews
• beliefs
• religion
• individual differences
• scale development