Abstinence and conscientiousness: gratitude or gratitude to God?

Abstract

ABSTRACT We conducted three studies to examine the function of gratitude to God versus dispositional gratitude, dispositional indebtedness, indebtedness to God, and religiosity. Study 1 found that among these variables, dispositional gratitude and religiosity were positively correlated with conscientiousness, the trait most strongly associated with self-regulation, both in self- and informant-reports. Study 2 replicated these findings. Finally, Study 3 (a 44-day daily diary study during Lent) replicated Studies 1 and 2 in terms of predictors of conscientiousness. Furthermore, we found that gratitude to God, rather than dispositional gratitude or religiosity, assessed before the start of Lent predicted average abstinence success during Lent. The multilevel analysis showed that on a day when participants felt more gratitude to God, they abstained more successfully than on a day when they felt less gratitude to God. General gratitude and religiosity were associated with conscientiousness, while gratitude to God was associated with successful abstinence during Lent.