DAILY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE 1
Method
Introduction
The following study involves a survey being completed by participants who may or may
not experience high levels of spirituality despite their attendance at a religious service. The
hypothesis reveals that church attendance does not influence an individual’s spirituality. . It is
predicted that religion or spirituality can improve stress levels and decrease negative impacts on
an individual’s mental health. The data collection method is discussed in the following
paragraphs.
The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) is a self-report instrument designed to
assess ordinary experiences of transcendent connection in an individual’s daily life (Underwood,
2011). Studies have found that women reported higher regarding the daily spiritual experience
scale than men in the United States. It is not uncommon to see men report low due to cultural
differences and the lack of being open regarding their emotions and spiritual experiences.
However, it is crucial to understand various variables when surveying both men and women
based on culture, religion, careers, and current destination. Therefore, it is not uncommon to find
that women test higher in spirituality levels especially when it is predictive that women are more
likely to attend a religious service to improve their well-being and health (Underwood, 2011).
Therefore, it is common to see men focus on their career and never attend a religious service to
feel that their well-being is successful.
Recent studies were able to investigate daily spiritual experiences and potential mental
health benefits based on religion and spirituality (Ken, Henderson, Bradshaw, Ellison, & Wright,
2021). Therefore, religious and spiritual phenomena have led to positive outcomes by lowering
stress and depression. Individuals who are religious or spiritual often attend a religious service,
DAILY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE 2
volunteer, and are open to publicly express their religion or spirituality. However, recent studies
measured the attachment theory regarding individuals who experienced a negative experience
with Christianity or a belief in Jesus Christ when they experienced any hurtful feelings and
emotions whether it was hurt by the church, a miscarriage, death, or personal offenses. However,
research found that stress and mental health have promoted individuals to increase their religious
practices in order to manage any negative emotions and symptoms that an individual may feel or
experience.
Many researchers have linked the measure of daily spiritual experiences in order to study
mental health outcomes including all other issues that may arise in an individual’s life (Ellison &
Fan, 2008). Individuals may seek to find closeness and a relationship with an invisible being
because they find peace in what they believe. The feeling and sense of closeness with an invisible
being is more likely to encourage high levels of spirituality (Prusak & Wasiewicz, 2021). i
Therefore, religion and spirituality is likely to improve an individual’s well-being and mental
health. Daily spiritual experiences have been found to be a helpful tool and factor for individuals
who struggle with daily stressors, depression, anxiety, and other chronic medical illnesses
(Koenig, Pearce, Nelson, & Erkanli, 2016). Although individuals may not always be able to avoid
stress and mental health issues, it is crucial that an individual is able to find peace and comfort,
whether it is through their religion, spirituality, or anything that provides comfort for their
personal well-being.
Participants
The study had a total of 20 participants. There were 18 female participants and 2 male
participants. All of the participants were volunteers in the study. All of the participants completed
the survey online through a link that was provided by e-mail.
DAILY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE 3
Materials
The survey was administered online with a privacy disclosure which explained that all
answers were anonymous and that their information would not be shared publicly because the
survey is for educational purposes only. The survey is created with two demographic questions,
six daily spiritual experience questions, and three church attendance questions. The two
demographic questions inquired the age of the participant and their biological gender of each
individual. The three church attendance questions inquired how often they attend a religious
service, how often they pray, and whether they feel religion plays an important role in handling
stressful situations.
Procedure
The research method was correlational. The participants took the survey online. The
participants had to confirm that they were 15 years of age or older to participant before being
allowed access to the survey. The participants were given access to the survey through an internet
link by e-mail. The participants were given as much time as they needed to complete each
question and were not allowed to complete the survey more than once.
Analysis
A Spearman's correlation will be used to determine whether there is a link between an
individual's spirituality and/or religion and their reported stress levels in their daily lives. Each
question that is affiliated with spirituality are averaged ranging from 1-5, with higher numbers
which indicated greater spirituality levels. By analyzing each individual’s answers, this will
reveal whether church attendance is an important factor for an individual to experience
spirituality. By analyzing each individual’s answers will also reveal whether prayer enhances
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their spirituality and if their spirituality improves their daily lifestyle including stress levels,
anxiety, and depression.
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References
Ellison, C. G., & Fan, D. (2008). Daily spiritual experiences and psychological well-being among
US adults. Social Indicators Research, 88(2), 247-271.
Kent, B. V., Henderson, W. M., Bradshaw, M., Ellison, C. G., & Wright, B. R. E. (2021). Do
daily spiritual experiences moderate the effect of stressors on psychological well-being?
A smartphone-based experience sampling study of depressive symptoms and flourishing.
The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 31(2), 57-78.
Koenig, H. G., Pearce, M. J., Nelson, B., & Erkanli, A. (2016). Effects on daily spiritual
experiences of religious versus conventional cognitive behavioral therapy for depression.
Journal of Religion and Health, 55(5), 1763-1777.
Prusak, J., & Wasiewicz, J. (2021). The experience and correlates of God’s silence among
christians. Religions (Basel, Switzerland ), 12(7), 532.
Underwood, L. G. (2011). The daily spiritual experience scale: Overview and results. Religions,
2(1), 29-50.
DAILY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE 6
Appendix
Disclosure:
I'm requesting that you complete this survey as part of the requirements for my statistics project in
a graduate level psychology course at Liberty University Online. Your responses will be kept
completely confidential. This survey will not collect any personal information about you. Please
do not fill out the survey with your name or any other identifying information. The survey results
will be used solely for educational purposes and will not be published or made available to the
general public. To participate in this survey, you must be at least 15 years old.
Directions:
Please select the option that applies to you for the "demographic questions." When answering the
"daily spiritual experience" questions, consider how frequently you have each of these examples
and circle the one that most resonates with you on a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 being "many times a
day" and 6 being "never or almost never." Finally, please fill in your response to the "church
attendance" question. Make sure to only respond to one question at a time.
Example:
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
6
Many times a
day
Every day
Most Days
Some Days
Once in a
while
Never or
almost
never
Demographic Questions
1. What is your gender? (Male/Female)
2. How old are you?
Daily Spiritual Experience Questions
1. I feel or experience God’s presence:
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Never
Once a year
or less
Few times
a year
Few times
a month
Once a week
More than
once a week
DAILY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE 7
2. I feel comfort regarding my religion or spirituality:
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Uncertain
Agree
Strongly Agree
3. I experience a sense of strength in my religion or spirituality:
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Uncertain
Agree
Strongly Agree
4. I feel or experience a deep inner peace or harmony based on my spirituality or
religion:
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Uncertain
Agree
Strongly Agree
5. I feel or experience God’s love for me through the comfort of others:
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Uncertain
Agree
Strongly Agree
6. I feel or experience God’s love for me directly:
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Uncertain
Agree
Strongly Agree
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Church Attendance Questions:
7. Based on average visits, I attend a religious service each month (excluding holidays):
8. How often do you pray privately or pray at a religious service?
9. How involved is your religious or spiritual tradition in understanding or dealing with
stressful situations?
