INTRINSIC SPIRITUALITY & PERCEIVED STRESS q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q
q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q 1
Results
The total sample size of this study was 78, with individuals ranging in age from 19 to 73
(M=41.91; S=11.61972); 91% of the participants identified as female; 9% identified as male; 0% of
the sample identified as other, although that was an option on the survey. The majority of the
participants were married (79.5%), followed by never married (11.5%), widowed (3%), and, finally,
separated or divorced (2.6% each). q q
The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not an inverse relationship exists
between intrinsic spirituality and perceived stress. As shown in Table 1, a Pearson’s r correlation
revealed a non-significant relationship r (76) = -0.122, p = 0.144, R2 = 0.01 (one-tailed). The null
hypothesis is retained. Higher degrees of intrinsic spirituality are not associated with lower levels of
perceived stress (see Figure 1). q q
Table 1
Correlation of Intrinsic Spirituality and Perceived Stress
Intrinsic
Spirituality
Perceived
Stress
Intrinsic
Spirituality
Pearson
Correlation
1
-.122
Sig. (1-tailed)
.144
N
78
78
Perceived Stress
Pearson
Correlation
-.122
1
Sig. (1-tailed)
.144
N
78
78
Figure 1
INTRINSIC SPIRITUALITY & PERCEIVED STRESS q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q
q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q 2
Scatterplot Depicting the Correlation Between Intrinsic Spirituality and Perceived Stress
Note. Intrinsic spirituality (M=7.4060, S=2.25896) was scored 0-10 and perceived stress (M=26.5769,
S=8.77647) was scored 0-56, with higher scores indicating a greater degree of each variable. q
Discussion
The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between intrinsic spirituality and
perceived stress. By operationally defining intrinsic spirituality as a unique construct, the objective
was to distinguish spirituality from religiosity, assessing it as an isolated variable. The sample
population was intended to be representative of the general American public. It was proposed that
intrinsic spirituality and perceived stress are negatively correlated, which would support the idea of
intrinsic spirituality as a possible protective factor against high levels of perceived stress. However,
the findings did not support the hypothesis. Higher intrinsic spirituality scores were not associated
with lower perceived stress scores.
INTRINSIC SPIRITUALITY & PERCEIVED STRESS q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q
q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q 3
There were numerous limitations in this study, including the sampling method,
characteristics of the sample, and the testing instruments used. The sampling method precluded
certain people from participating in the study. The survey was distributed via social media, limiting
participation to those with both internet access and social media accounts (Facebook or Instagram).
Furthermore, the survey link was only active for one weekday, from the hours of 10:00am to
10:00pm, excluding participation by those whose weekday obligations (e.g., work, family, or school)
prevented them from accessing or completing the survey during that time period. Although the
survey was made available to the public through the adjustment of privacy settings, because it was
posted on a personal social media account, it is likely that the majority of participants were friends
or followers of the researcher, possibly resulting in an overrepresentation of certain demographics
(i.e., residents of the southeastern United States, Caucasians, or Christians) and an
underrepresentation of others (i.e., residents of northern and western regions of the United States,
people of color, or individuals from diverse religious backgrounds). This demographic information
was not collected and, therefore, represents a potential limitation in the sampling method.
However, the demographic data that was collected suggests a limitation in the characteristics of the
sample population.
Women represented an overwhelming majority of the sample (91%), as did married
participants (79.5%). For the purposes of our study, married included common law marriage. The
United States Census Bureau (USCB) estimates that 50% of Americans are married, with an
additional 8% cohabitating with a partner; data indicates that 50.8% of Americans identify as female
(USCB, 2022). Chi Square Goodness of Fit tests were used to examine whether the gender and
marital status of participants in this study were similar to nationally reported rates. They differed
significantly x2(1, N=78)=50.843, p <.001, 𝜙=0.81 (gender) and x2(1, N=78)=14.783, p<.001, 𝜙=0.44
(marital status). As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3, the sample consisted of significantly more
INTRINSIC SPIRITUALITY & PERCEIVED STRESS q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q
q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q 4
women and more married individuals than the nationally reported rates, suggesting that the sample
is not an accurate representation of the general American public. In addition, the scores for intrinsic
spirituality are skewed (-1.374). With a mean of 7.40, a median of 8, and a mode of 9, individuals
with little to no intrinsic spirituality are not adequately represented in this sample. Likewise,
although the perceived stress scores are relatively symmetrical (0.043), individuals with high levels
and low levels of perceived stress are underrepresented (M=26.58, MED=26, MODE=19). q q q q q q q q
Figure 2
Bar Graph Depicting Gender of Participants
Figure 3
Bar Graph Depicting Marital Status of Participants q
INTRINSIC SPIRITUALITY & PERCEIVED STRESS q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q
q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q 5
Finally, there are limitations related to the testing instruments themselves. Both the Intrinsic
Spirituality Scale (Hodge, 2003) and the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen & Mermelstein, 1983) are
instruments that rely on the subjectivity of self-assessment, as well as participants’ interpretation of
abstract constructs and questions. Furthermore, they each utilize Likert scale responses, which have
been challenged in terms of reliability and validity (Louangrath, 2018).
The findings of this study partially contradict those of Reutter and Bigatti (2014), who found
that higher levels of intrinsic spirituality were associated with lower levels of perceived stress, as
well as more favorable psychological outcomes. Though the Perceived Stress Scale (Hodge, 2003)
was used in the aforementioned study, a different instrument was used to evaluate intrinsic
spirituality, the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (Underwood, 2011), which could account for the
incongruous results. While the current study did not explore the relationship between intrinsic
spirituality and psychological outcomes, a similar study of 348 psychiatric patients suggests that
intrinsic spirituality serves as a moderating factor over the course of time, as opposed to being
associated with one’s perception of stress at the onset of the stressor (Lorenz, Doherty, & Casey,
INTRINSIC SPIRITUALITY & PERCEIVED STRESS q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q
q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q 6
2019). Although these results were obtained in a different sample population, they are supported
by the current findings, as are the results of a recent study of pharmacology students, which found
that intrinsic spirituality and perceived stress are not significantly correlated (Aftab et al., 2018).
Finally, Werdel et al. (2014) found that individuals with both low levels of perceived stress and high
degrees of intrinsic spirituality were more likely to experience growth following a highly stressful
experience. The Faith Maturity Scale (Benson et al., 1993) was used to evaluate intrinsic spirituality
and the instrument used to measure stress was the same (Hodge, 2003). The Werdel et al. (2014)
study does not contradict the current findings outright, because the relationship between intrinsic
spirituality and perceived stress was not explicitly examined, but, unlike the current study, these
findings do suggest that intrinsic spiritualty does impact stress in some manner.
Stress is an undeniable part of life and the way that it is handled can have immediate and
long term repercussions, biologically, psychologically, and behaviorally (Boyce & Ellis, 2005; Lupien
et al., 2009). One’s perception of stress, to some degree, affects his or her ability to cope with it
favorably (Ruetter & Bigatti, 2014). In the field of mental health, understanding the variables that
influence perceived stress has important implications for practitioners seeking to promote resiliency
in the populations with whom they work. Given that intrinsic spirituality is generally associated with
positive outcomes (Schwalm et al., 2021), the current study aimed to demonstrate a relationship
between high levels of intrinsic spirituality and low levels of perceived stress. Because the analysis
did not reveal a significant relationship, further investigation is needed to understand both the role
of intrinsic spirituality in coping with stress and the factors that contribute to one’s perception of
stress.
The current study provides ample implications for future studies that could build on these
results. Including participants with more extreme perceived stress scores (>40 and <10), as well as
INTRINSIC SPIRITUALITY & PERCEIVED STRESS q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q
q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q 7
participants with lower intrinsic spirituality scores (<5), both of which this study lacked, could yield
a more informative set of data. Furthermore, the addition of a valid and reliable assessment used
to measure general psychological health and well-being, at the onset of the study, with follow-up
testing at 3, 6, and 12 months, could offer insight into the role of intrinsic spirituality throughout
the life of a stressor, from onset to resolution. The findings of such a study could better equip
practitioners to support their clients in leveraging, developing, and strengthening their resources,
including spirituality, to more effectively cope with stress. q q q q
q
INTRINSIC SPIRITUALITY & PERCEIVED STRESS q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q
q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q 8
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