Quest Scale
Measures religion as an open-ended, questioning search for meaning characterized by readiness to face existential questions, positive view of doubt, and openness to change.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Quest Scale was developed by C. Daniel Batson & Patricia Schoenrade (1991). It is designed to measure Quest Orientation. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Readiness to face existential questions, Self-criticism and perception of religious doubt as positive, Openness to change.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Readiness to face existential questions | 1,2,3,4 | 4 |
| Self-criticism and perception of religious doubt as positive | 5,6,7,8 | 4 |
| Openness to change | 9,10,11,12 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = 7, 8 = 8, 9 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 2 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 12 to 108. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Quest Orientation: 12 – 44
- Moderate Quest Orientation: 45 – 76
- High Quest Orientation: 77 – 108
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha of .75 – .81.
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.