The purpose of this research was to update Havighurst's Performance Rating Scale and Interview Protocol for the contemporary adult religious affiliate social role. Objectives were: (a) to develop a Performance Rating Scale to objectively assess role performance; (b) to develop a content valid Interview Protocol; and (c) to provide further evidence of validity through exploratory study of performance patterns based on age, gender, and SES level.
Study instruments were developed based on review of literature, input of the USF Social Roles Research Team, and five expert panels: Pilot, Validation, Verification, Confirmation, and Affirmation. Changes were made to study instruments based on panel input, and were field tested with 30 interviewees representing age, gender, and SES categories of the quota sample.
Data were calculated from the field test. Inter-rater reliability ranged from .92 to .99, intra-rater reliability from .95 to .99. Correlation between five performance strands and total score ranged from .65 to .92, indicating unidimensionality of the religious affiliate construct. The coefficient of stability was .97 for total performance score. Data were gathered from a quota sample of 150 interviewees from Tampa Bay and Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan areas. Interviewees were selected on age, gender, SES level, and race/ethnicity.
Performance in this social role can be objectively and reliably measured and rated with evidence of content validity. Analysis found performance differences by age, gender, and SES level. Interaction effects were found for age by SES and gender by SES. Post hoc pairwise comparisons were calculated. Significant differences were found in the disenfranchised SES level which performed lower than the other four levels; older elites performed higher than young elites; working women performed higher than working men. Study instruments grounded in social role theory are unique in operationalizing adult performance. Specifically, religious performance can be measured as a unidimensional construct and in attitudes and behaviors not previously considered. Further research with a larger random sample is recommended to determine relationships between performance in this social role and other variables such as marital status, religious affiliation, and race.
My Research