Religious Affiliation, Religiosity, and Impulsive and Intentional Deviance

Abstract

Abstract The impact of denomination on the religiosity/deviance relationship is assessed using a sample of undergraduate college students. Also examined is the utility of the intentional deviance/impulsive deviance typology. The strength of the inverse relationship between religiosity and deviance varied by denomination. After controlling for the effects of gender, family structure, attachment to school, and involvement in conventional activities, religiosity exhibited the greatest amount of social control on proscriptive Protestants. As hypothesized, religiosity and other sociological variables accounted for more of the variance in intentional deviance than impulsive deviance. Moreover, the negative impact of religiosity on both types of deviance was generally greater for the more minor norm violations.