Faculty Sponsor
Jim Nelson
College
Arts and Sciences
Discipline(s)
Psychology
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
5-3-2014
Abstract
This study uses the thoughts and writings of Evagrius of Ponticus to provide a measure useful in assessing addictions in relation to spirituality. Evagrius (1972) theorizes that there are eight tempting thoughts that can form the basis of disordered attachments, and that these deadly thoughts could lead one to a life of addictions. These thoughts formed the foundation of the Life Interests Questionnaire (LIQ). This self-report survey consists of 170 items, all of which are scored on a Likert scale (1 = strongly agree and 5 = strongly disagree). The LIQ was paired with an interest survey containing 43 items taken from previously tested measures. These questions asked about one’s religious identification, locus of control, and beliefs about the world. In a pilot study, each attachment item group was examined through confirmatory factor analysis which allowed the substructure of the questionnaire to be examined and the overall fit of the model was found to be marginally adequate (GFI 0.8889). Reliability and validity of this measure were attained primarily through construct validity and it found both a valid and reliable measure of Evagrius’s underlying theory. Future plans include correlational studies between religious identification/practices and level of disordered attachments.
Recommended Citation
Labitan, Victoria; Perfect, Kelly; Stribl, Diana; Blackburn, Avery; Harrington, Erin; Bowman, Lisa; Greci, Linnea; Dibley, Elizabeth; and Binder, Heidi, "Assessing Addictions in a Spiritual World: Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equations Modeling to Develop the Life Interests Questionnaire" (2014). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 334.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/334
Biographical Information about Author(s)
The authors are all a part of a research group under Dr. Jim Nelson. Victoria Labitan is a senior psychology major who has been participating in the project since January 2012. Kelly Perfect is a senior psychology major who has participated in the research group for two and a half years. Diana Stribl is a senior psychology major who has been participating in the research group since 2012. Avery Blackburn is a junior psychology major who has been participating since fall 2013. Erin Harrington is a junior psychology major who has been participating since fall 2013. Lisa Bowman is a junior psychology major who started participating in spring 2014. Linnea Greci is a junior psychology major who also started participating in the research group in spring 2014. Elizabeth Hostetler is a senior psychology major who has participated in the research group for two years. Heidi Binder is a junior psychology major who has worked in the group since fall 2013.