Measuring a Highly Religious Population: Development of an Empirical Test for Brigham Young University Students

Authors

Marin Turley, Brigham Young University
Dr. Steven R. Thomsen, Brigham Young University

Keywords

highly religious population, empirical test, homogenous population

College

Fine Arts and Communications

Department

Communications

Abstract

This research charts the development of a reliable scale that can discriminate differences in religiosity in a highly religious population. Approximately 99% of the more than 30,000 students at Brigham Young University are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, presenting a highly religious and highly homogenous population (www.byu.edu). In such a population, a researcher needs a sensitive survey scale to generate a quantifiable measure of religiosity that will discriminate between members. This project applied considerations for defining and measuring religiosity empirically, using the BYU population as a case study. The goal and final product of this research was the scale itself: one that was sensitive enough to be able to discriminate different levels of religiosity between members of a highly religious population.

Recommended Citation

Turley, Marin and Thomsen, Dr. Steven R. (2014) "Measuring a Highly Religious Population: Development of an Empirical Test for Brigham Young University Students," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2014: Iss. 1, Article 481.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/481