| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Description | The Religious Belief Scale (RBS; Martin & Nichols, 1962) measures belief in various religious tenets, developed to explore personality correlates of religious belief across different informational backgrounds. The scale comprises 41 items derived from existing religious belief scales, focusing on beliefs such as the Bible, efficacy of prayer, afterlife, a personal God, the divinity of Jesus, and the necessity of religion and church for a moral life. |
| Author | Carol Martin; Robert C. Nichols |
| Purpose | To assess the characteristics and extent of belief in various religious doctrines. |
| Construct | Religious Beliefs |
| Instrument Type | Rating Scale |
| Administration Method | Paper |
| Test Year | 1962 |
| Format | True/False response format. |
| Number of Items | 41 items |
| Test Items Available | No; contact the publisher for details on obtaining the test items. |
| Reliability | Internal consistency: The scale demonstrated a Kuder-Richardson reliability of 0.95 in a sample of 83 participants. |
| Validity | Criterion validity: Significant positive correlations were observed between religious belief and church attendance (r = 0.62, p < 0.01), church membership (r = 0.35, p < 0.01), rated parental attitudes toward religion (r = 0.25, p < 0.01), Bible information (r = 0.29, p < 0.01 in low-information groups), and rural background (r = 0.35, p < 0.01). A significant negative correlation was found with socio-economic status (r = -0.16, p < 0.05). |
| Factor Analysis | Not indicated. |
| Classification | Religious and Political Beliefs |
| Age Group | Adulthood (18 years & older) |
| Population Group | Human; Male; Female |
| Population Details | Sample: Undergraduate students |
| Keywords | Efficacy of Prayer; Belief in Afterlife; Belief in a Personal God; Belief in the Divinity of Jesus; Belief in the Necessity of Church and Religion; Religious Belief Scale; Test Development; Belief in the Bible |
| Index Terms | Bible; God Concepts; Rating Scales; Religiosity; Religious Beliefs; Religious Practices; Religious Buildings; Test Construction |
| Reference | Martin, C., & Nichols, R. C. (1962). Personality and religious belief. The Journal of Social Psychology, 56, 3–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1962.9919366 |
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Religious Belief Scale (RBS). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/religious-belief-scale-rbs/
Mohammed looti. "Religious Belief Scale (RBS)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 4 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/religious-belief-scale-rbs/.
Mohammed looti. "Religious Belief Scale (RBS)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/religious-belief-scale-rbs/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Religious Belief Scale (RBS)', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/religious-belief-scale-rbs/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Religious Belief Scale (RBS)," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Religious Belief Scale (RBS). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.