The Mysticism Scale – Research Form D (M Scale)
A self-report instrument designed to assess an individual's intense experiences characterized by a sense of unity with the outside world and/or with nothingness.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The The Mysticism Scale – Research Form D (M Scale) was developed by Ralph W. Hood, Jr. (1975). It is designed to measure Mysticism. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 32 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Ego Quality, Unifying Quality, Inner Subjective Quality, Temporal/Spatial Quality, Noetic Quality, Ineffability, Positive Affect, Religious Quality.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Ego Quality | 3,4,6,24 | 4 |
| Unifying Quality | 12,19,28,30 | 4 |
| Inner Subjective Quality | 8,10,29,31 | 4 |
| Temporal/Spatial Quality | 1,11,15,27 | 4 |
| Noetic Quality | 13,16,17,26 | 4 |
| Ineffability | 2,21,23,32 | 4 |
| Positive Affect | 5,7,18,25 | 4 |
| Religious Quality | 9,14,20,22 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: -2 = This description is definitely not true of my own experience or experiences., -1 = This description is probably not true of my own experience or experiences., 0 = I cannot decide (?), 1 = This description is probably true of my own experience or experiences., 2 = This description is definitely true of my own experience or experiences..
The scale includes 16 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 32 to 160. Interpretation guidelines:
- Total Score Range (Scoring: reverse score negatively worded items, add 3 to each item's value including '?', and sum all items): 32 – 160
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Total scale item-total correlations range from .29 to .55; Subscale alphas range from .69 to .76.
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.