Principal components analysis of Maltby and Day’s (1998) amended quest religious orientation scale: a replication of the three component structure

The purpose of the present study was to explore the component structure of Maltby and Day’s (1998) amended version of the 12-item Quest Religious Orientation Scale. The scale was administered to 286 churchgoers in the UK. Items were then subjected to a principal components analysis followed by oblimin rotation. Inspection of the scree plot showed three components above the elbow. A three component solution was consistent with that proposed by Maltby and Day (1998). The components were conceptualised as complexity, doubt and tentativeness. Results suggest that research into the quest construct should take into account the distinct nature of these three components, and investigate their separate associations with other variables.