RELIGIOSITY AND ORIENTATION TOWARD THE PRESENT

Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine if religiosity is related to orientations toward the present, to test if it could significantly predict them, and to test if age and educational level can moderate these relationships. The data was collected using The Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS-15), The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) and a questionnaire containing questions about basic sociodemographic information about the sample. The sample consisted of 648 participants, both male (n = 195) and female (n = 453), aged 18–70 (M = 35.50, SD = 11.30). The results showed that both models in this research are significant. The first model explains 4.1% of the variance of the hedonistic present (R2 = .04, F(2,645)= 13.90, p < .001) with religiosity (β = .20, p < .001) as a significant predictor. The second model explains 14.7% of the variance of the fatalistic present (R2 = .14, F(2,645)= 55.48,p< .001) with gender (β = .11, p < .01) and religiosity (β = .38, p < .001) as significant predictors. In this research, age demonstrated moderating effects on the relationship between religiosity and both orientations toward the present, enhancing their positive relationship. When it comes to the educational level, it demonstrates a moderating effect only on the relationship between religiosity and hedonistic present perspective, also enhancing their positive relationship. The results implicate that the concept of the hedonistic present should be revised since it seems like the maladaptive trait of the hedonistic present depends on the way it is guided by the concerns for the future and some previous results suggest a double path that this time perspective could affect happiness and its correlates.