Inventory of Religious Concepts (IRC)
Measures various dimensions of Christian religious beliefs and values, including traditional doctrines, biblical attitudes, and support for the church.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Inventory of Religious Concepts (IRC) was developed by Harold B. Dunkel (1947). It is designed to measure Religious Beliefs. The scale is intended for use with College students and adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 80 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Hebrew-Christian Conceptions of God, Attitudes toward God (Theism and Nontheism), Nontraditional Expressions of Religious Values, Historic Christian Doctrines and Practices, Attitudes toward the Bible, Support of the Church.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew-Christian Conceptions of God | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 | 10 |
| Attitudes toward God (Theism and Nontheism) | 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 10 |
| Nontraditional Expressions of Religious Values | 21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30 | 10 |
| Historic Christian Doctrines and Practices | 31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50 | 20 |
| Attitudes toward the Bible | 51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70 | 20 |
| Support of the Church | 71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80 | 10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: x = Agree, y = Disagree, n = No opinion, u = Uncertain.
The scale includes 25 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Subscale alphas range from .59 to .86.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 25 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.