Intrinsic and Extrinsic Religious Orientation Among the Very Old

The aim of this study was to test a shortened version of the Swedish Religious Orientation Scale's (SROS) appropriateness, feasibility, and ability to distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation among very old people. The participants (n = 43) were Lutheran believers aged >= 85 years. They scored high on both the intrinsic and extrinsic sub-scales and a cluster analysis revealed three clusters of items, one measuring intrinsic religious orientation and two measuring extrinsic religious orientation. The shortened version of the SROS appears appropriate for distinguishing between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation among very old people.