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Sample
The researchers used convenience sampling to the CGS aligns with a central assump�on of this
recruit Chris�ans by distribu�ng a web-based study that a par�cipatory rela�onship with God
survey (SurveyMonkey) through a local radio affects humans through rela�onal, emo�onal,
sta�on, a mid-western seminary, and two local and behavioral factors (Knabb & Wang, 2019).
churches. Mailing lists consisted of approxima- Items include rela�onal experiences and ac-
tely 10,000, 350 and 150 poten�al par�cipants �ons such as “I feel God valuing me”, and are
respec�vely, who were contacted once, with a rated on a scale of 1 = Never true for me, to 5 =
final response rate of approximately 25%. The Always true for me. Factor analyses confirmed
nonprobability sample allowed broad access to a good fit between the 12 items and internal
the target popula�on. We gained IRB approval consistency for the CGS was high (Cronbach’s
and the coopera�on of the par�cipa�ng organi- alpha = .95, and in the present study Cron-
za�ons. Surveys included informed consent re- bach’s alpha = .92).
quiring par�cipant acceptance, the measures
listed below, and a demographics ques�o- Humility Seman�c Differen�als
nnaire. Par�cipants were asked to self-screen Humility was measured using Rowa� et al.’s
for the criteria of aged 18 or above and Chris�- (2006) Humility Seman�c Differen�als (HSD).
an. The HSD uses seven pairs of words, and par�ci-
pants rate themselves on a seven-point scale
The sample consisted of 2,594 par�cipants and placed between each pair of words (e.g., “hum-
females significantly outnumbered males ble/arrogant” and “modest/immodest”). The
(18.7% male, n = 484; 81% female, n = 2101; HDS demonstrates good convergent and diver-
.3% other or unknown, n = 9). Par�cipants re- gent validity (Rowa� et al., 2006), and McElroy-
ported themselves to be 18-40 years old (n = Heltzel et al. (2019) suggest the HDS suffices
423, 16.4%), 41-60 years old (n = 1,248, 48.1%), "as a brief measure of humility" (p. 397) given
and 61+ years old (n = 651, 25.2%), and 272 its pa�ern of correla�ons and items that assess
(10.5%) did not answer this ques�on. A large openness, global humility, modesty, and other-
majority reported their ethnicity as White (n = orientedness. Rowa� et al. (2006) found Cron-
2432, 93.8%), followed by African American (n bach’s alpha for the HSD to be .72-.79, and in
= 72, 2.8%), Hispanic (n = 32, 1.2%), Mul�racial the present study Cronbach’s alpha = .82.
(n = 27, 1%), Asian (n = 14, .5%), and others/
non-specified (n = 17, .6%). Par�cipants prima- The Gra�tude Ques�onnaire
rily lived in the United States (n = 2546, 98.1%). The Gra�tude Ques�onnaire (GQ-6) created by
Other loca�ons included Columbia, UAE, Uni- McCullough and Emmons (2002) was used to
ted Kingdom, Australia, Asia and unspecified (n measure gra�tude. The authors conducted four
= 48, 1.7%). Par�cipant denomina�on was dis- studies with 1,622 total par�cipants to develop
tributed across 14 groups, led by nondenomi- and asses the instrument (McCullough & Em-
na�onal (n = 911, 35%), Bap�st (n = 472, 18%), mons, 2002). Study 1 found Cronbach’s alpha
and Catholic (n = 339, 13%). Each other deno- was .82, and structural equa�on modeling indi-
mina�on represented less than 10%. cated a one-factor model. Convergent and di-
vergent validity has been established with Mc-
Measures Cullough and Emmons (2002) concluding, “The
Communion with God Scale GQ-6 has excellent psychometric proper�es, in-
The Communion with God Scale (CGS) measu- cluding a robust one-factor structure and high
red par�cipant rela�onship with God u�lizing internal consistency, especially in light of its
an emic (or “insider”) construc�on methodo- brevity” (p. 124). Items include statements
logy that allows the 12 items to adhere to com- such as “I have so much in life to be grateful
mon Chris�an experiences of rela�ng to God for” and agreement is indicated on a Likert sca-
(Knabb & Wang, 2019). The emic perspec�ve of le (1 = Strongly disagree, to 7 = Strongly agree).
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