Validating the Persian Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale within an Islamic Context

The present study explored the reliability and construct validity of the 82-item Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale (ISIS) designed by Amram and Dryer (2008) in Iran. To this end the ISIS was translated into Persian by employing schema theory and administered to nine hundred and fourteen undergraduate and graduate students majoring in various fields in five universities in Mashhad. The participants’ responses were submitted to principal axis factoring and Varimax with Kaiser Normalization resulting in the extraction of twenty one factors having items with at least one acceptable loading, i.e., Holistic, Positive, Detached, Purposeful, Committed, Metaphysical, Integrative, Perceptive, Receptive, Assiduous, Fragile, Prudent, Hollow, Self-Discerning, Other-Dependent, Self-Cognizant, Materialistic, Resistant, Naturalistic, Concessional, and Sensual. While fourteen factors confirm the presence of spiritual intelligence in individuals, seven are reverse revealing its absence. Both confirmatory and reverse factors correlate significantly with each other. They also show acceptable levels of reliability whenever applicable.

Validating the Persian Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale within an Islamic Context

The present study explored the reliability and construct validity of the 82-item Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale (ISIS) designed by Amram and Dryer (2008) in Iran. To this end the ISIS was translated into Persian by employing schema theory and administered to nine hundred and fourteen undergraduate and graduate students majoring in various fields in five universities in Mashhad. The participants’ responses were submitted to principal axis factoring and Varimax with Kaiser Normalization resulting in the extraction of twenty one factors having items with at least one acceptable loading, i.e., Holistic, Positive, Detached, Purposeful, Committed, Metaphysical, Integrative, Perceptive, Receptive, Assiduous, Fragile, Prudent, Hollow, Self-Discerning, Other-Dependent, Self-Cognizant, Materialistic, Resistant, Naturalistic, Concessional, and Sensual. While fourteen factors confirm the presence of spiritual intelligence in individuals, seven are reverse revealing its absence. Both confirmatory and reverse factors correlate significantly with each other. They also show acceptable levels of reliability whenever applicable.

___

  • Allport, Gordon W. and Ross, J. Michael (1967), "Personal Religious Orientation and Prejudice," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 5/4, 432-443, https://doi.org/10.1037/h0021212
  • Amram, Yosi (2007, February), "The Seven Dimensions of Spiritual Intelligence: An Ecumenical, Grounded Theory," (Paper presented at the 115th Annual Conference of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA, August 17-20, 2007).
  • Amram, Yosi, and Dryer, D. Christopher (2008), "The Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale (ISIS): Development and Preliminary Validation," (Paper presented at the 116th Annual Conference of the American Psychological Association Boston, MA, August 14-17, 2008). http://www.yosiamram.net/docs/ISIS_APA_Paper_Presentation_2008_08_17.pdf (accessed 22 May 2012).
  • Binet, Alfred and Simon, Théodore (1905), "Méthodes nouvelles pour le diagnostic du niveau intellectual des anormaux," L'Année Psychologique 11, 191-244; English Translation: "New Methods for the Diagnosis of the Intellectual Level of Subnormals," in Binet and Simon, The Development of Intelligence in Children (The Binet-Simon Scale) (translated into English by Elizabeth S. Kite; Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins Company, 1916), 37-90.
  • Conway, James M. and Huffcutt, Allen I. (2003), "A Review and Evaluation of Exploratory Factor Analysis Practices in Organizational Research," Organizational Research Methods 6/2, 147-168.
  • Cronbach, Lee J. (1951), "Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests," Psychometrika 16/3, 297-334, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555
  • Darwin, Charles (1871), The Decent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex (Electronic version: New York, NY: D. Appleton and Company).
  • Fancher, Raymond E. (1985), The Intelligence Men: Makers of the IQ Controversy (New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company).
  • Gardner, Howard (1983), Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (New York, NY: Basic Books).
  • Gardner, Howard (1993), Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice (New York, NY: Basic Books).
  • Gardner, Howard (2000), "A Case against Spiritual Intelligence," The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion 10/1, 27-34.
  • George, Darren and Mallery, Paul (2003), SPSS for Windows Step by Step: A Simple Guide and Reference Fourth Edition (11.0 update): Answers to Selected Exercises (Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon).
  • Kass, Jared D. & Friedman, Richard & Leserman, Jane & Zuttermeister, Patricia C. & Benson, Herbert (1991), "Health Outcomes and a New Index of Spiritual Experience," Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 30/2, 203-211, https://doi.org/10.2307/1387214
  • Khodadady, Ebrahim (2001), "Schema: A Theory of Translation," in Sonia Cunico (ed.), Training Translators and Interpreters in the New Millennium, Portsmouth 17th March 2001 Conference Proceedings (Portsmouth, UK: University of Portsmouth, School of Languages and Areas Studies), 107-123.
  • Khodadady, Ebrahim (2008), "Measuring Translation Ability and Achievement: A Schema-Based Approach," Quarterly Journal of Humanities, Al-Zahra University 18/70, 56-76.
  • Khodadady, E. and Bagheri, Nader (2012), "Construct Validation of a Modified Religious Orientation Scale within an Islamic Context," International Journal of Business and Social Science 3/11, 237-246.
  • Khodadady, E. and Golparvar, Ehsan (2011), "Factors Underlying Religious Orientation Scale - A Methodological Approach -," Ilahiyat Studies: A Journal on Islamic and Religious Studies 2/2, 215-235.
  • King, David Brian (2008), Rethinking Claims of Spiritual Intelligence: A Definition, Model, and Measure (MA thesis; Peterborough, ON, Canada: Trent University).
  • King, D. B. and DeCicco, Teresa L. (2009), "A Viable Model and Self-Report Measure of Spiritual Intelligence," International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 28, 68-85.
  • Mayer, John D. and Caruso, David (2002), "The Effective Leader: Understanding and Applying Emotional Intelligence," Ivey Business Journal 67/2, 1-5.
  • Nasel, Dagmar Dasha (2004). Spiritual Orientation in Relation to Spiritual Intelligence: A Consideration of Traditional Christianity and New Age/Individualistic Spirituality (PhD dissertation; Australia: University of South Australia).
  • Pavot, William and Diener, Ed (1993), "Review of the Satisfaction with Life Scale," Psychological Assessment 5/2, 164-172, https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.5.2.164
  • Salvucci, Sameena & Walter, Elizabeth & Conley, Valerie & Fink, Steven & Saba, Mehrdad (1997), Measurement Error Studies at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (Washington DC: National Center for Education Statistics).
  • Schmitt, Neal (1996), "Uses and Abuses of Coefficient Alpha," Psychological Assessment 8/4, 350-353, https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.8.4.350
  • Seif, Shahin and Khodadady, Ebrahim, (2003), "Schema-Based Cloze Multiple Choice Item Tests: Measures of Translation Ability," Université de Tabriz, Revue de la Faculte des Letters et Sciences Humaines, Langue 187/46, 73-99.
  • Tabachnick, Barbara G. and Fidell, Linda S. (2001), Using Multivariate Statistics (Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon).
  • Wechsler, David (1944), The Measurement of Adult Intelligence (3rd edn., Baltimore, MD: The Williams & Wilkins Company), https://doi.org/10.1037/11329-000
  • Zohar, Danah and Marshall, Ian (2000), SQ: Connecting with Our Spiritual Intelligence (New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing).