title: Measures of Hindu pathways: development and preliminary evidence of reliability and validity.
abstract: The authors examined religious practices of Hindus in the United States and developed measures of their religious pathways. Based on reviews of the psychology of religion, Hindu literature, and interviews with Hindus (N=15), 4 religious pathways were identified: devotion, ethical action, knowledge, and physical restraint/yoga. Items reflecting these pathways were generated and administered to a pilot sample (N=42) and then mailed to a sample across the United States (N=182). Consistent with Hindu theology, participants endorsed 4 religious pathways. Results indicated that the measures of the religious pathways possessed adequate psychometric properties and were predictive of mental and physical well-being. Additional findings emphasized the need to attend to age, marital status, and acculturation when studying religious practices among Hindus.
authors: Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA. nalini.tarakeshwar@yale.edu
authors: Nalini
authors: N
authors: Tarakeshwar
authors: Kenneth I
authors: KI
authors: Pargament
authors: Annette
authors: A
authors: Mahoney
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D018596:Hinduism; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009679:Nuclear Family / Q000208:ethnology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States