The Role of Religion in the Problem-Solving Process

Abstract

The primary goal of the study was to describe the role of religion in the problem-solving efforts of college students. Toward this end, a general descriptive model of religion in problem solving was devised and examined. Results indicated that subjects tended to use religion most extensively for emotional support and for redefining their difficulties. The secondary goal of the study was to investigate two hypotheses. The first hypothesis was that persons who are more intrinsically religious would use religion in their problem-solving efforts more extensively than persons who are less intrinsically religious. This hypothesis was supported. The second hypothesis was that persons facing more challenging life events would be more likely to use religion in their problemsolving efforts than persons who are less challenged in this way. This hypothesis was not supported. Various explanations for this finding were discussed. Generally, the results underscore the value of a problem-solving frameworkfor the study of religion.