[Psychometric Properties of the Shortend Version of the "Systems of Belief Inventory" in a Representative Sample of the German Population]. / Psychometrische Überprüfung der Kurzversion des "Systems of Belief Inventory" in einer deutschlandweiten repräsentativen Bevölkerungsstichprobe.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to show the development of the revised and shortened German version (6 items) of the "Systems of Belief Inventory" (SBI-6R-D) as well as to examine its psychometric properties. METHODS: In a representative German sample the questionnaire has been given to 2513 subjects. A confirmatory factor analysis has been made to prove the original American factor structure. Measurement invariance was tested using multigroup analysis. Correlations were used to determine convergent and discriminant validity towards other items. RESULTS: The SBI-6R-D showed good item and scale characteristics as well as good model fit. In difference to the work of Albani et al. (SBI-15R-D), the 2 factorial structure of the original American questionnaire could be replicated. Scalar invariance could be shown for gender and age, metric invariance for denomination and federal state. DISCUSSION: Due to the good psychometric properties of the questionnaire it should be further analyzed in future research with other validated religious instruments. CONCLUSIONS: The new German short version, the SBI-6R-D, is an economic, reliable and valid questionnaire to measure spiritual and religious attitudes.