Who are the non-believers? Characteristics of the questionnaire for measuring non-religious attitudes

Abstract

Our article presents the characteristics of the Types of Nonbelief Questionnaire for measuring the attitudes of non-believers. The tool consists of two types of unbelief: dogmatic and intellectual. The empirical basis of the presented tool is two studies conducted on a Polish sample among people declaring themselves as non-believers (N = 425 and N = 293). The analysis of psychometric properties showed good reliability and theoretical validity, as indicated by the correlations of both scales (types of unbelief) with various psychological constructs. Dogmatic unbelief correlates with variables that we would generally describe as negative, e.g. prejudice, collective narcissism, or the need for cognitive closure. Intellectual unbelief correlates with constructs that are generally considered positive, e.g. openness to experience or lack of prejudice.