Multi-Dimensional Fundamentalism Inventory (MDFI)

The Multi-Dimensional Fundamentalism Inventory (MDFI) is a 15-item questionnaire measuring religious fundamentalism. The instrument consists of three subscales with five items each: External versus Internal authority (External/Internal authority), Fixed versus Malleable religion (Fixed/Malleable religion), and Rejection versus Recognition of the world (Rejection/Affirmation of the world). The first dimension captures the belief that an individual’s actions are moral and correct only if they are based on God’s authority. The second dimension represents the attitude that religious tradition is given and exists independently of historical and cultural conditions. The third dimension captures valuing the sacred over mundane experiences.

Length of filling

Filling out the MDFI takes about 5 minutes.

Keywords

Multi-Dimensional Fundamentalism Inventory, MDFI, religious fundamentalism, religion, God

Scoring and interpretation

The total score is obtained by adding up all the items. Higher scores indicate higher levels of religious fundamentalism.

Response scale

Subjects respond to MDFI items on a five-point Likert scale: “strongly disagree” (1) to “strongly agree” (5).

References

Henry, R. S., Perrin, P. B., & Smith, E. R. (2022). Religiosity, Religious Fundamentalism, Heterosexism, and Support for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights: A Moderated Mediation Approach. Social Sciences, 11(4), 174. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11040174

Kosarkova, A., Malinakova, K., van Dijk, J.P., Tavel, P. (2021). Vaccine Refusal in the Czech Republic Is Associated with Being Spiritual but Not Religiously Affiliated. Vaccines, 9(10), 1157. 10.3390/vaccines9101157

Liht, J., Conway, L. G., Savage, S., White, W., & O’Neill, K. A. (2011). Religious Fundamentalism: An Empirically Derived Construct and Measurement Scale. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 33(3), 299–323. https://doi.org/10.1163/157361211X594159

Wibisono, S., Louis, W., & Jetten, J. (2019). The Role of Religious Fundamentalism in the Intersection of National and Religious Identities. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.1017/prp.2018.25