Latent profile analysis: identifying spiritual intelligence profiles among young adults

While research demonstrates significant relationships between spiritual intelligence (SI) and well-being outcomes, individual differences in patterns of spiritual capacities remain understudied (King, 2008; Singh & Pandey, 2023). A person-centered approach examining naturally occurring profiles of SI may illuminate heterogeneity in spiritual development (Bergman & Magnusson, 1997). This study used latent profile analysis to identify distinct groups of young adults based on their patterns across five dimensions of spiritual intelligence and to examine how profiles differ on demographic, personality, and well-being variables. A sample of 363 young adults (210 females, 153 males; M_age = 24 years) completed the Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale measuring five domains (Consciousness, Grace, Meaning, Transcendence, Truth), along with measures of quality of life, self-efficacy, personality traits, and multiple intelligence. Hierarchical clustering and k-means clustering analyses identified three distinct profiles: Low SI (n = 119, 32.8%), Moderate SI (n = 153, 42.1%), and High SI (n = 91, 25.1%). The High SI profile demonstrated significantly higher quality of life (M = 99.52 vs. 90.88 in Low SI, p < .001), self-efficacy (M = 35.04 vs. 30.58, p < .001), and multiple intelligence (M = 219.03 vs. 198.87, p < .001), along with lower neuroticism (M = 12.60 vs. 13.62 in Moderate SI). High SI individuals were more likely to be older (62.6% > 25 years vs. 34.5% in Low SI, p < .001) and married (51.6% vs. 22.7%, p < .001). These findings demonstrate that spiritual intelligence develops heterogeneously across young adults, with distinct profiles showing meaningful associations with life stage, psychological well-being, and cognitive capacities. Profile-specific interventions targeting spiritual growth may optimize well-being outcomes across diverse populations (Emmons, 2000; Vaughan, 2002).