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RCOPE

The RCOPE is a 105-item measure that assesses the full range of religious coping methods. It consists of 21 subscales with five items each including potentially helpful and harmful religious expressions. The short form of the measure with 21 subscales of three items each, can be found here: http://emerge.ucsd.edu/measure-rcopesf/.

Categories

Geographies Tested: United States of America

Populations Included: Female, Male

Age Range: Adolescents, Adults

Items:

Religious Methods of Coping to Find Meaning

Benevolent Religious Reappraisal — redefining the stressor through religion as benevolent and potentially beneficial

*1. Saw my situation as part of God's plan.
*2. Tried to find a lesson from God in the event.
*3. Tried to see how God might be trying to strengthen me in this situation.
4.Thought that the event might bring me closer to God.
5. Tried to see how the situation could be beneficial spiritually.

Punishing God Reappraisal — redefining the stressor as a punishment from God for the individual's sins

*1. Wondered what I did for God to punish me.
*2. Decided that God was punishing me for my sins.
*3. Felt punished by God for my lack of devotion.
4. Wondered if God allowed this event to happen to me because of my sins.
5. Wondered whether God was punishing me because of my lack of faith.

Demonic Reappraisal—redefining the stressor as an act of the Devil

*1. Believed the devil was responsible for my situation.
*2. Felt the situation was the work of the devil.
3. Felt the devil was trying to turn me away from God.
*4. Decided the devil made this happen.
5. Wondered if the devil had anything to do with this situation.

Reappraisal of God's Powers — redefining God's power to influence the stressful situation

*1. Questioned the power of God.
*2. Thought that some things are beyond God's control.
*3. Realized that God cannot answer all of my prayers.
4. Realized that there were some things that even God could not change.
5. Felt that even God has limits.

Religious Methods of Coping to Gain Control

Collaborative Religious Coping — seeking control through a partnership with God in problem solving

*1. Tried to put my plans into action together with God.
*2. Worked together with God as partners.
*3. Tried to make sense of the situation with God.
4. Felt that God was working right along with me.
5. Worked together with God to relieve my worries.

Active Religious Surrender — an active giving up of control to God in coping

*1. Did my best and then turned the situation over to God.
*2. Did what I could and put the rest in God's hands.
*3. Took control over what I could, and gave the rest up to God.
4. Tried to do the best I could and let God do the rest.
5. Turned the situation over to God after doing all that I could.

Passive Religious Deferral — passive waiting for God to control the situation
*1. Didn't do much, just expected God to solve my problems for me.
*2. Didn't try much of anything; simply expected God to take control.
*3. Didn't try to cope: only expected God to take my worries away.
4. Knew that I couldn't handle the situation, so I just expected God to take control.
5. Didn't try to do much; just assumed God would handle it.

Pleading for Direct Intercession — seeking control indirectly by pleading to God for a miracle or divine intercession

*1. Pleaded with God to make things turn out okay.
*2. Prayed for a miracle.
*3. Bargained with God to make things better.
4. Made a deal with God so that he would make things better.
5. Pleaded with God to make everything work out.

Self-Directing Religious Coping—seeking control directly through individual initiative rather than help from God

*1. Tried to deal with my feelings without God's help.
*2. Tried to make sense of the situation without relying on God.
*3. Made decisions about what to do without God's help.
4. Depended on my own strength without support from God.
5. Tried to deal with the situation on my own without God's help.

Religious Methods of Coping to Gain Comfort and Closeness to God

Seeking Spiritual Support — searching for comfort and reassurance through God's love and care

*1. Sought God's love and care.
*2. Trusted that God would be by my side.
*3. Looked to God for strength, support, and guidance.
4. Trusted that God was with me.
5. Sought comfort from God.

Religious Focus—engaging in religious activities to shift focus from the stressor

*1. Prayed to get my mind off of my problems.
*2. Thought about spiritual matters to stop thinking about my problems.
*3. Focused on religion to stop worrying about my problems.
4. Went to church to stop thinking about this situation.
5. Tried to get my mind off my problems by focusing on God.

Religious Purification — searching for spiritual cleansing through religious actions

*1. Confessed my sins.
*2. Asked forgiveness for my sins.
*3. Tried to be less sinful.
4. Searched for forgiveness from God.
5. Asked for God to help me be less sinful.

Spiritual Connection — experiencing a sense of connectedness with forces that transcend the individual

*1. Looked for a stronger connection with God.
*2. Sought a stronger spiritual connection with other people.
*3. Thought about how my life is part of a larger spiritual force.
4. Tried to build a strong relationship with a higher power.
5. Tried to experience a stronger feeling of spirituality.

Spiritual Discontent — expressing confusion and dissatisfaction with God's relationship to the individual in the stressful situation

*1. Wondered whether God had abandoned me.
*2. Voiced anger that God didn't answer my prayers.
*3. Questioned God's love for me.
4. Wondered if God really cares.
5. Felt angry that God was not there for me.

Marking Religious Boundaries — clearly demarcating acceptable from unacceptable religious behavior and remaining within religious boundaries

*1. Avoided people who weren't of my faith.
*2. Stuck to the teachings and practices of my religion.
*3. Ignored advice that was inconsistent with my faith.
4. Tried to stick with others of my own faith.
5. Stayed away from false religious teachings.

Religious Methods of Coping to Gain Intimacy with Others and Closeness to God

Seeking Support from Clergy or Members — searching for comfort and reassurance through the love and care of congregation members and clergy

*1. Looked for spiritual support from clergy.
*2. Asked others to pray for me.
*3. Looked for love and concern from the members of my church.
4. Sought support from members of my congregation.
5. Asked clergy to remember me in their prayers.

Religious Helping — attempting to provide spiritual support and comfort to others

*1. Prayed for the well-being of others.
*2. Offered spiritual support to family or friends.
*3. Tried to give spiritual strength to others.
4. Tried to comfort others through prayer.
5. Tried to provide others with spiritual comfort.

Interpersonal Religious Discontent — expressing confusion and dissatisfaction with the relationship of clergy or members to the individual in the stressful situation

*1. Disagreed with what the church wanted me to do or believe.
*2. Felt dissatisfaction with the clergy.
*3. Wondered whether my church had abandoned me.
4. Felt my church seemed to be rejecting or ignoring me.
5. Wondered whether my clergy was really there for me.

Religious Methods of Coping to Achieve a Life Transformation

Seeking Religious Direction— looking to religion for assistance in finding a new direction for living when the old one may no longer be viable

*1. Asked God to help me find a new purpose in life.
*2. Prayed to find a new reason to live.
*3. Prayed to discover my purpose in living.
4. Sought new purpose in life from God.
5. Looked to God for a new direction in life.

Religious Conversion — looking to religion for a radical change in life

*1. Tried to find a completely new life through religion.
*2. Looked for a total spiritual reawakening.
*3. Prayed for a complete transformation of my life.
4. Tried to change my whole way of life and follow a new path—God's path.
5. Hoped for a spiritual rebirth.

Religious Forgiving—looking to religion for help in shifting from anger, hurt, and fear associated with an offense to peace

*1. Sought help from God in letting go of my anger.
*2. Asked God to help me overcome my bitterness.
*3. Sought God's help in trying to forgive others.
4. Asked God to help me be more forgiving.
5. Sought spiritual help to give up my resentments.

*indicates item is on the 3-item version of the subscale.

Response Options: A 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 "not at all" to 3 "a great deal."

Scoring Procedures

Not Available

Original Citation

Pargament, K. I., Koenig, H. G., & Perez, L. M. (2000). The Many Methods of Religious Coping: Development and Initial Validation of the RCOPE. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(4), 519-543. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(200004)56:4%3C519::AID-JCLP6%3E3.0.CO;2-1


Psychometric Score

Ease of Use Score

Scoring breakdown

Formative Research

Qualitative Research

Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework

Field Expert Input

Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing

Reliability

Internal

Test-retest

Interrater

Validity

Content

Face

Criterion (gold-standard)

Construct

KEY

Ease of Use

Readability

Scoring Clarity

Length

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