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Evaluation of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale in a Sample of Korean Adults

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Abstract

This study explored the psychometric qualities and construct validity of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS; Ellison in J Psychol Theol 11:330–340, 1983) using a sample of 470 Korean adults. Two factor analyses, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, were conducted in order to test the validity of the SWBS. The results of the factor analyses supported the original two-dimensional structure of the SWBS—religious well-being (RWB) and existential well-being (EWB) with method effects associated with negatively worded items. By controlling for method effects, the evaluation of the two-factor structure of SWBS is confirmed with clarity. Further, the differential pattern and magnitude of correlations between the SWB subscales and the religious and psychological variables suggested that two factors of the SWBS were valid for Protestant, Catholic, and religiously unaffiliated groups except Buddhists. The Protestant group scored higher in RWB compared to the Buddhist, Catholic, and unaffiliated groups. The Protestant group scored higher in EWB compared to the unaffiliated groups. Future studies may need to include more Buddhist samples to gain solid evidence for validity of the SWBS on a non-Western religious tradition.

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Acknowledgment

This work was partially supported by the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Research Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Imun-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-791, Korea

    Sukkyung You

  2. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Ji Eun Yoo

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  1. Sukkyung You
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  2. Ji Eun Yoo
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Correspondence to Sukkyung You.

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You, S., Yoo, J.E. Evaluation of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale in a Sample of Korean Adults. J Relig Health 55, 1289–1299 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-015-0010-0

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