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Beliefs about personal change
Adrian Furnham1, Ryne A Sherman2
1Department of Leadership and Organisational Behaviour, Norwegian Business School (BI), Norway.
Acta Psychologica
|December 25, 2022
Summary
This study found that religious beliefs, age, and education are key predictors of personal change beliefs. Many participants held views contrary to existing academic literature on the topic.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Beliefs about personal change are fundamental to human development.
- Existing research often focuses on specific change domains, with less attention to the broad spectrum of beliefs and their correlates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate European adults' beliefs regarding personal change.
- To identify factors influencing these beliefs, including mindset, demographics, and religious convictions.
- To compare findings with established academic literature.
Main Methods:
- An online questionnaire was administered to 510 European adults.
- The Dweck Mindset measure was included to assess beliefs about ability and personality growth.
- Factor analysis was used to group 27 characteristics into five factors: Personality, Beliefs and Habits, Health, Social Status, and Physical.
Main Results:
- Beliefs about personal change correlated significantly with religious beliefs, sex, and age.
- Dweck mindset ratings related to beliefs about change and religious beliefs.
- Regression analyses identified religiosity, age, and education as consistent predictors of change beliefs.
- A notable divergence was observed between participant beliefs and the academic literature.
Conclusions:
- Religious beliefs, age, and education are significant predictors of personal change beliefs in Europeans.
- Participant beliefs about personal change often contradict established academic findings.
- Further research is needed to understand these discrepancies and their implications.
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