Spirituality in Psychology: A Conceptual and Critical Analysis ‎of the Construct of Spirituality

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 ‎. ‎PhD student in Psychology, Research Institute of Hawzah and University, Qom, Iran.‎

2 ‎Professor, Department of Psychology, Research Institute of Hawzah and University, Qom, ‎Iran.‎

10.22081/jsr.2025.70361.1108

Abstract

Despite the general recognition of spirituality as an intrinsic human quest for meaning and connection beyond oneself, it remains a multifaceted concept with diverse definitions. This study aims to present a comprehensive conceptual model of spirituality by critically examining and analyzing its meaning. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach using an exploratory sequential design (quantitative-qualitative). In the qualitative phase, qualitative content analysis was employed, while in the quantitative phase, a descriptive-survey method was used to validate the conceptual model of spirituality and its components. An initial search yielded 363 articles and books, from which 58 sources met the inclusion criteria for defining spirituality. Data analysis resulted in 184 initial codes, 48 basic themes, and nine organizing themes—essence, experience, connection, quest, reflection, cognition, behavior, emotion and affect, and outcome—categorized into four main dimensions: core, mechanisms, dynamic systems, and manifestations. The final process-oriented conceptual model of spirituality was extracted and validated using the Content Validity Index (CVI). Despite the numerous definitions of spirituality in psychology, it is a complex, multidimensional construct inherently interconnected with other existential dimensions of human life. Key criticisms of the concept of spirituality in psychology include insufficient attention to its dynamic and transcendental developmental aspects, an overemphasis on external and secular components, and an artificial separation of spirituality from religious and faith-based dimensions. Given that the dominant paradigm in psychology is secular, this influence is also evident in the conceptualization of spirituality.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 24 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 30 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 19 January 2025

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