A self-discrepancy reduction model of religious coping

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Religious Studies

Background:

• Self-discrepancy theory posits that differences between one's actual self and one's ideal or ought-to-be self can lead to negative emotional states.
• Religious responses are a common coping mechanism for individuals facing personal crises.
• The relationship between specific types of self-discrepancy and the nature of religious coping is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between two types of self-discrepancy (actual/ideal and actual/ought-to-be) and the choice of religious responses to personal crises.
• To determine if the magnitude or type of self-discrepancy influences the selection of behavioral, cognitive, or affective religious coping strategies.

Main Methods:

• Fifty participants completed questionnaires assessing actual/ideal and actual/ought-to-be self-discrepancies.
• Participants indicated their preferred religious responses (behavioral, cognitive, affective) to hypothetical personal crises.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between actual/ought-to-be self-discrepancy and a greater frequency of choosing behavioral and affective religious responses.
• No significant relationship was observed between actual/ideal self-discrepancy and the type of religious response chosen.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the hypothesis that the actual/ought-to-be self-discrepancy is a relevant factor in understanding religious coping mechanisms.
• The results suggest that individuals driven by a sense of obligation or duty may utilize different religious coping strategies compared to those focused on aspirations.
• Further research is warranted to refine self-discrepancy models in the context of religious coping and crisis management.