Belief in Evil Eye Scale (BEES)

Abstract

The Belief in Evil Eye Scale (BEES; Naz & Aslam, 2023) is an 18-item instrument designed to assess beliefs related to the “evil eye” within the Pakistani cultural context. This scale was developed to address a gap in existing paranormal belief measures that did not adequately cover evil eye beliefs. The development process involved an initial pool of items derived from interviews with individuals who believed in the evil eye, followed by refinement by subject matter experts, resulting in a 28-item preliminary scale. The BEES was then administered to adults in Pakistan. Through both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, a robust 5-factor structure was identified, leading to the final 18-item version. The scale’s reliability and validity have been thoroughly reported.

Keywords

Casters of Evil Eye; Evil Eye Beliefs; Evil Eye Effects; Evil Eye Indicators; Pakistani Culture; Preventive Beliefs; Warding Off Evil Eye

Authors

Naz, Nida Falak; Aslam, Naeem

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Purpose

The primary objective of the Belief in Evil Eye Scale (BEES) is to comprehensively evaluate beliefs pertaining to the “evil eye” specifically within the Pakistani cultural framework. This instrument aims to provide a standardized and culturally sensitive measure for researchers and practitioners interested in understanding this specific aspect of belief systems.

Validity

Convergent Validity: The BEES demonstrated strong convergent validity, exhibiting positive and statistically significant correlations with established measures such as the Paranormal and Supernatural Belief Scale (PSBS; Dean et al., 2021) and the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS; Tobacyk, 2004). This indicates that the BEES effectively measures constructs that are theoretically related to paranormal and supernatural beliefs.

Discriminant Validity: The BEES and its subscales also showed robust discriminant validity, differentiating well from the Moral Identity Measure (MIM; Aquino & Reed, 2002) and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-16 (NPI-16; Ames et al., 2006). This suggests that the BEES is distinct from measures of moral identity and narcissistic traits, ensuring it assesses unique aspects of evil eye beliefs.

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The internal consistency of the BEES and its various subscales was found to be at moderate to high levels, indicating good reliability. Cronbach’s alpha values for the scale and its subscales ranged from .63 to .86, while McDonald’s omega values ranged from .63 to .87. These values suggest that the items within the scale consistently measure the same underlying construct.

Factor Analysis

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA): An initial Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) suggested a six-factor solution. However, a qualitative assessment revealed that the sixth factor was inconsistent and did not significantly contribute to the overall structure of the scale. Consequently, several items were systematically deleted. For instance, items 1, 2, 15, and 16 did not load on any discernible factors. Additionally, items 27 and 28 exhibited negative cross-loadings, while items 6, 12, 17, and 14 were removed due to not loading on their expected factors. This rigorous process ultimately led to a refined 18-item scale with a clear five-factor structure.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): A subsequent Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to confirm the proposed five-factor model. The results demonstrated strong model fitting indices, indicating an excellent fit of the data to the hypothesized model. The key indices were: χ²(df)= 411.09 (129), χ²/df= 3.18, IFI= .92, TLI= .90, CFI= .92, RMSEA= .07, and SRMR= .07. These values collectively support the validity and robustness of the five-factor structure of the BEES.

Instrument

Test Type: Original
Format: Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with responses ranging from “strongly disagree” (1) to “strongly agree” (5).
Language Available: Urdu
Population Group: Human (Male and Female)
Age Group: Adulthood (18 years & older), including Young Adulthood (18-29 years), Thirties (30-39 years), Middle Age (40-64 years), and Aged (65 years & older).
Population Details: The study participants were adults from Pakistan, with an age range spanning from 18 to 68 years.
Test Methodology: The development and validation of the BEES involved a comprehensive methodological approach including Test Validity, Convergent Validity, Discriminant Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Exploratory Factor Analysis.

Keywords

Attitude Measures; Evil; Parapsychological Phenomena; Religious Beliefs; South Asian Cultural Groups; Spirituality; Religion and Spirituality Measures

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Authors

Naz, Nida Falak

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Govt. Girls Postgraduate College Abbottabad

• Email address: [email protected]

• Correspondence Address: [email protected]

Aslam, Naeem

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad

• Email address: No data is Available

• Correspondence Address: No data is Available

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Contact Corresponding Author
Fee: No
Test Year: 2023

References

Naz, N. F., & Aslam, N. (2023). Development and validation of belief in Evil Eye Scale. Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 21(2), 18–27.

Items of the Belief in Evil Eye Scale (BEES)

The Belief in Evil Eye Scale (BEES) consists of 18 items. While the specific items are not provided, the scale is structured around five distinct factors, which serve as subscales:

• Evil Eye Effects (EEE): This factor likely encompasses beliefs related to the negative consequences or impacts attributed to the evil eye.

• Evil Eye Indicators (EEI): This factor probably includes beliefs about signs, symptoms, or circumstances that indicate the presence or influence of the evil eye.

• Warding off Evil Eye (WEE): This factor focuses on beliefs about methods, practices, or rituals used to protect oneself from or counteract the effects of the evil eye.

• Preventive Beliefs (PB): This factor addresses beliefs concerning precautions or measures taken to prevent the occurrence or impact of the evil eye.

• Casters of Evil Eye (CEE): This factor pertains to beliefs about individuals or entities who are thought to possess the ability to cast the evil eye.

The 18 items within the BEES are rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly disagree” (1) to “strongly agree” (5).