An integrated approach for assessing reliability and validity: an application of structural equation modeling to the measurement of religiosity

The reliability and factor structure of a new self-report scale of religious behaviour and an existing measure of religious attitude, the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity (short form), were assessed using a general structural equation model. This extends the previously reported findings of Lewis, Shevlin, Lloyd and Adamson (1998). The Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity (short scale): Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis among English students. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 13, 167–175. A factor analytic model was specified and estimated using LISREL8 in order to examine the psychometric properties of each scale. This model integrates internal and cross-structure analysis and allows for the estimation of reliability and validity. In addition, to provide a comparative overview of the methods used, both the results of the exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha, together with the estimates derived from the integrated approach are presented. The results indicate acceptable levels of reliability and construct validity.