Curvilinearity and Religious Types: A Second Look at Intrinsic, Extrinsic, and Quest Relations

Abstract

The relation between Allport's intrinsic (I) and extrinsic (E) religious orientations, although of central conceptual importance, has never been clearly demonstrated. Allport (1960, 1966) initially hypothesized I and E to be endpoints of a bipolar continuum. Allport and Ross (1967) and subsequent researchers', however, failed to find consistent evidence for an inverse linear relation. Many researchers thus concluded that I and E—and later, Batson's (1976) quest orientation (Q)—are orthogonal. Study 1 demonstrates that I, E, and Q are not orthogonal, but inversely and curvilinearity related, offering some support for the use of religious types. Study 2 demonstrates that these types differ predictably on such dimensions as impression management, self-deception, and introjective depression. Conceptual and methodological implications for the study of religious orientation are discussed.