Christian Religious Internalization Scale – CRIS
Assesses the degree of internalization for Christian beliefs and practices, distinguishing between introjected and identified religious orientations.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Christian Religious Internalization Scale – CRIS was developed by Richard M. Ryan, Scott Rigby, & Kristin King (1993). It is designed to measure Religious Internalization. The scale is intended for use with Christian individuals.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Introjection, Identification.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Introjection | 2,3,5,7,10,12 | 6 |
| Identification | 1,4,6,8,9,11 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = not at all true, 2 = usually not true, 3 = usually true, 4 = very true.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low internalization of this orientation style: 1 – 2
- Moderate internalization of this orientation style: 2 – 3
- High internalization of this orientation style: 3 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Introjection subscale alpha = .82, Identification subscale alpha = .82.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.