Structure of Prayer Scale – SPS
A 28-item self-report scale designed to assess six conceptually distinct categories of prayer behavior and habits.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Structure of Prayer Scale – SPS was developed by Luckow, A., Ladd, K. L., Spilka, B., McIntosh, D. N., Paloma, M., Parks, C., & LaForett, D. (1997). It is designed to measure Prayer behavior. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 28 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Confession, Petition, Ritual, Meditation-improvement, Habit, Compassionate petition.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Confession | 3,4,7,14,17 | 5 |
| Petition | 13,15,22 | 3 |
| Ritual | 1,9,20 | 3 |
| Meditation-improvement | 2,16,23,26,27 | 5 |
| Habit | 10,12,25,28 | 4 |
| Compassionate petition | 5,6,8,11,18,19,21,24 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = moderately disagree, 3 = slightly disagree, 4 = slightly agree, 5 = moderately agree, 6 = strongly agree.
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 Cronbach's alpha ranges: Confession (.58-.89), Petition (.44-.81), Ritual (.62-.80), Meditation-improvement (.19-.86), Habitual (.67-.89), Compassionate petition (.81-.95).
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.