Development and validation of a spiritual intelligence scale for young Indians

Over the past decade, there has been significant interest in Spiritual Intelligence (SI) and its impact on individual well-being. Traditionally, SI has been associated with individuals in later stages of life. This study aims to investigate the levels and relevance of SI among young adults in India, a demographic that has received limited attention in existing research. The Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24) was used to assess SI within a young urban demographic comprising individuals aged 18–29 years (N = 156). The confirmatory factor analysis indicated a composite reliability ranging from 0.857 to 0.926, convergent validity with Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values ranging from 0.464 to 0.713, discriminant validity with Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio ranging from 0.532 to 0.822, and an SRMR value of 0.095. This outcome indicated that the convergent validity and model fit did not meet the required criteria, underscoring the imperative for a reliable instrument to effectively assess spiritual intelligence in the Indian context. A detailed scale development process was conducted for urban Indian youth aged 18–29, using data from this group (N = 622). The scale included six dimensions: adaptability, wisdom, self-discovery, compassion, oneness, and inner peace, comprising a total of twenty-three items. The analysis indicated that the proposed scale meets the established criteria (composite reliability ranging from 0.762 to 0.866, convergent validity with AVE values ranging from 0.511 to 0.590 and discriminant validity with HTMT ratio ranging from 0.481 to 0.828, SRMR value for dataset II as 0.083 and for dataset III as 0.074). This research emphasizes the relevance and importance of the spiritual dimension for young adults, aiding youth in achieving inner peace, building ethical frameworks, fostering resilience, and promoting personal growth amid challenges.