Religion and personality among religious studies students: a replication
Michael Fearn1, Christopher Alan Lewis, Leslie J Francis
1Welsh National Center for Religious Education, University of Wales, Bangor, UK.
Psychological Reports
|January 16, 2004
Summary
This study found that higher Psychoticism scores were linked to lower religiosity in adolescents. Extraversion and Neuroticism showed no significant association with religious attitudes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
Background:
- Previous research by Francis and Fearn (1999) explored personality traits and religiosity.
- Understanding the relationship between personality and religious belief is crucial in developmental psychology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To replicate the findings of Francis and Fearn (1999) regarding personality traits and attitudes toward Christianity.
- To investigate the association between specific Eysenck personality dimensions and religiosity in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 360 religious studies students aged 16-18 years participated.
- Participants completed the abbreviated Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity.
Main Results:
- Analysis confirmed the results of Francis and Fearn (1999).
- A significant negative correlation was found between Psychoticism scores and rated religiosity (r = -0.25).
- No significant associations were found between Extraversion or Neuroticism and religiosity.
Conclusions:
- The study supports the finding that Psychoticism is negatively associated with religiosity in adolescents.
- Extraversion and Neuroticism do not appear to be significantly related to attitudes toward Christianity in this age group.
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