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Prayer and inner speech: is there a connection?

Johann F Schneider1

  • 1University of the Saarland, Germany. josh@mx.uni-saarland.de

Psychological Reports
|September 15, 2004
PubMed
Summary

This study found prayer frequency and church attendance negatively correlated with self-efficacy in German adults. Inner speech did not show expected associations with prayer or self-efficacy.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology of Religion

Background:

  • Self-efficacy, a key psychological construct, is influenced by various life factors.
  • The relationship between religious practices like prayer and psychological well-being is complex and warrants further investigation.
  • Inner speech, or self-talk, is increasingly recognized for its role in cognitive and emotional regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between the frequency of prayer, inner speech, and self-efficacy in a sample of German adults.
  • To test the hypothesis that prayer and inner speech are functionally related and contribute to higher self-efficacy.
  • To explore potential correlations between religious behaviors (prayer frequency, church attendance) and self-efficacy levels.

Main Methods:

  • A sample of 134 German adults (88 women, 46 men) participated in the study.
  • Data were collected on the frequency of prayer, use of inner speech, and levels of self-efficacy.
  • Statistical analyses, including correlation, were employed to examine the relationships between these variables.

Main Results:

  • Contrary to hypotheses, inner speech was not significantly associated with the frequency of prayer or self-efficacy.
  • Significant negative correlations were observed between self-efficacy and frequency of prayer (r = -.28).
  • A stronger negative correlation was found between self-efficacy and church attendance (r = -.44).

Conclusions:

  • The findings challenge the presumed positive link between prayer, inner speech, and self-efficacy.
  • The study suggests that higher engagement in prayer and church attendance may be associated with lower self-efficacy in this sample.
  • Further research is recommended to explore the nuances of inner speech in relation to diverse forms of private prayer, especially among less frequent churchgoers.

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