Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2016, Psychology

As the Muslim convert population continues to grow in the U.S., it is important for psychologists to have ways of assessing their spirituality and religiosity. While there are measures of conversion to Islam, none have been empirically validated with a U.S. convert population. The purpose of the current study was to validate an assessment measure (Lakhdar et al., 2007) previously developed with French converts, with a U.S. convert sample. The present study did not find strong evidence for the eight-factor solution that was found in the original study (Lakhdar et al., 2007). However, support for two of the original factors was established (telic and autic sympathy). Additionally, the measure demonstrated good temporal stability and three subscales (telic, conformist, and autic sympathy) were significantly correlated with validated measures of Islamic beliefs and behavioral practices. While some psychometric validity for the measure was established, the scale will likely require further revisions before being considered a valid measure of conversion to Islam for the U.S. convert population.

Committee: John Barrett Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Dalia Diab Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jennifer Gibson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Islamic Studies; Psychological Tests; Psychology; Religion; Spirituality