Religious motivation in middle age: correlates and implications

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Religious Studies

Background:

• Understanding factors influencing religious motivation is crucial for middle-aged adults.
• Self-concept and locus of control are key psychological constructs potentially linked to religious engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between various demographic, psychological, and social factors and religious motivation in middle age.
• Specifically investigating self-rated health, age, sex, race, self-concept, education, occupation, and locus of control.

Main Methods:

• Survey research involving 301 middle-aged adults (45-65 years).
• Participants recruited from 22 randomly selected United Methodist churches.
• Statistical analysis to determine the relative importance of predictors for religious motivation.

Main Results:

• Sex, ideal self-concept, and locus of control demonstrated the strongest relationships with religious motivation.
• Women, individuals with high ideal self-concepts, and those with an internal locus of control were less extrinsically motivated by religion.
• These factors suggest a link between personal control, self-perception, and religious engagement.

Conclusions:

• Acculturation processes, particularly sex, ideal self-concept, and locus of control, significantly influence religious motivation in middle age.
• Religion's 'comfort' or 'challenge' functions may impact spiritual well-being in later life for this demographic.
• Findings highlight the interplay between psychological factors and religious motivation for middle-aged individuals.