Updating Allport's and Batson's Framework of Religious Orientations: A Reevaluation from the Perspective of Self-Determination Theory and Wulff's Social Cognitive Model

Abstract

We theoretically and empirically evaluate Allport’s intrinsic-extrinsic and Batson’s quest religious orientations through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT) and Wulff’s social-cognitive model. Confirming our theoretical analysis, we find that Allport’s intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy fails to correspond empirically to the differentiation between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation within SDT. Whereas Allport’s intrinsic religious orientation was positively related to internalized extrinsic motivation, his two extrinsic (i.e., personal and social) religious orientations were not systematically related to any of the discerned motives within SDT. Furthermore, Batson’s quest orientation was unrelated to any of the SDT concepts but was positively related to symbolic disbelief. The present findings suggest that Allport’s motivational orientations model needs both refinement and relabeling to better fit with recent theoretical evolutions in the field of motivational psychology.