Value systems and centrality of religiosity as predictors of non-religious and religious coping with stress in early adulthood.

Abstract

Aim of the studyThe aim of the current study is to investigate whether values and the centrality of religiosity could be good predictors of non-religious and religious coping styles in early adulthood. Although previous research suggests that values and religious dimensions might be related to coping styles, their precise character remains unexplained.Subject or material and methodsResearch participants included 209 people (111 women and 98 men), randomly recruited in southern parts of Poland. Their ages ranged from 20 to 40 years, with a mean age of 28.4 years (SD = 6.44). All participants filled in the four questionnaires: The Scheler Values Scale, The Centrality of Religiosity Scale, The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and The Brief RCOPE Scale.ResultsAesthetic, truth, and moral values were positively associated with task-oriented coping, while hedonic and vital values were positively linked to emotion-oriented and avoidance-oriented styles. As regards religious coping styles, vital, aesthetic, truth, and moral values were positively connected to positive coping. Negative coping was positively related to hedonic values, but negatively linked to sacred values. The centrality of religiosity dimensions were positively related to emotion-oriented coping, avoidance-oriented coping, social diversion, and positive religious coping.DiscussionValues and the centrality of religiosity dimensions turned out to be predictors for coping styles. The meanings made on a basis of important values and religious beliefs help individuals better understand the situation and find means of overcoming its negative consequences.ConclusionsValues and religiousness serve as a meaning system that enables individuals to interpret difficult events and effectively cope with distress caused by these events.