Brown Religiosity Questionnaire
A multidimensional self-report scale designed to measure various aspects of religious belief, including institutionalization, individualism, and orthodox Christian beliefs.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Brown Religiosity Questionnaire was developed by L. B. Brown (1962). It is designed to measure Religiosity. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 31 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Institutionalization, Individualism, Beliefs about Christ, Beliefs about God, Other Orthodox Christian Beliefs, General Religious Belief.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Institutionalization | 1,2,3,4 | 4 |
| Individualism | 5,6,7,8 | 4 |
| Beliefs about Christ | 9,10,11,12 | 4 |
| Beliefs about God | 13,14,15,16,17,18 | 6 |
| Other Orthodox Christian Beliefs | 19,20,21,22,23 | 5 |
| General Religious Belief | 24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 7 = I am completely certain that this statement is true., 6 = I am almost certain that this statement is true., 5 = I think that this statement is true, but I am not at all certain., 4 = I am completely uncertain about this statement., 3 = I think this statement is false, but I am not at all certain., 2 = I am almost certain that this statement is false., 1 = I am completely certain that this statement is false..
The scale includes 3 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 31 to 217. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Religiosity: 31 – 93
- Moderate Religiosity: 94 – 155
- High Religiosity: 156 – 217
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.