The 11-item Chinese enlightenment scale: initial evidence for validation

ABSTRACT Although the concept of enlightenment is difficult to define in intellectual terms, it denotes an ordinary but often elusive state of inner wholeness where, for an individual, no real divide between themselves and the world is felt, and where there is unfailing kindness towards all beings. Reasoning that if enlightenment could be represented by simple experiences, such as feeling inner wholeness and seeing the inner beauty in all individuals, Western researchers in 2015 developed a 30-item Enlightenment Scale with two factors which they named At Peace and Open-Hearted. Repeated examination of the scale’s structure using confirmatory analysis showed that it was robust; tests of convergent validity lent further support to the scale. The present study tested the Enlightenment Scale, once translated into Chinese, in an eastern context. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed an 11-item Chinese Enlightenment Scale with three factors which were named Open-Hearted, Inner Wholeness, and At Peace. As expected, there were negative correlations between scores on the Chinese Enlightenment Scale and Perceived Stress, and positive correlations between scores on the Chinese Enlightenment Scale and Goal Pursuit. The implications of the results were discussed, and future research directions suggested.