Religious Commitment Index (RCI): elaboration and psychometric evidences

This paper describes the development of the Religious Commitment Index (RCI) which aims at grouping different dimensions of religious commitment in one single index by conducting two studies. Three hundred seventeen students took part in Study 1 and 194 people in Study 2, with similar mean ages (Study 1: m = 16.6, SD = 5.20; Study 2: m = 16, SD = 4.41), mostly female (53.6% and 67.5%, respectively). All participants completed one scale of religious beliefs and one of religious practices, followed by religious related and socio-demographic questions. Both studies showed the different dimensions grouping in one single factor, accounting for 65% of the total variance and showing satisfactory internal consistency. The results suggest the adequacy of the RCI for the studied religious groups.