Religious Salience Research Articles

(When) are religious people nicer? Religious salience and the “Sunday Effect” on pro-social behavior

AbstractPrior research has found mixed evidence for the long-theorized link between religiosity and pro-social behavior. To help overcome this divergence, I hypothesize that pro-social behavior is linked not to religiosity per se, but rather to the salience of religion and religious norms. I report a field experiment that examined when auction participants will respond to an appeal to continue bidding for secular charitable causes. Religious individuals are more likely than non-religious individuals to respond to an appeal “for charity” only on days that they visit their place of worship; on other days of the week, religiosity has no effect. Notably, the result persists after controlling for a host of factors that may influence bidding, but disappears when the appeal “for charity” is replaced by an appeal to bid for other (i.e., competitive) reasons. Implications for the link between religion and pro-social behavior are discussed.

The relationship between religious/spiritual factors and perceived growth following a diagnosis of breast cancer

This study investigates the role of religious salience, God image and religious coping in relation to perceived growth following a diagnosis of breast cancer. Eighty-seven breast cancer patients were followed from pre-diagnosis up to 24 months post-surgery. The findings of this study provided limited support for the role of positive aspects of spirituality in relation to perceived growth. Religious involvement at pre-diagnosis was predictive of less growth at 24 months post-surgery while a positive image of God had no association with growth. While some forms of positive religious coping demonstrated positive associations, others evidenced no relationship or negative relationships with growth. Negative aspects of spirituality were more consistently related to growth with the nature of the association again depending on the type of negative spirituality being assessed. For example, passive deferral coping was related to less growth while spiritual discontent coping was related to greater growth across time. Such findings underscore the need to attend to negative aspects of spirituality from early on in the process of cancer adjustment as such expressions may have implications for women's ability to develop and maintain a positive perspective in their coping over the long-term.

Public Support for the “Regional Perspective”: A Consideration of Religion

Factors beside material self-interest may explain public attitudes toward cross-community sharing of resources in metropolitan areas. This article considers whether religion is a factor that influences public support for this regional perspective. Employing original survey data from metropolitan areas in Georgia, it examines the effects of religious tradition and religious salience on the breadth and strength of public support for the regional perspective, holding other factors constant (e.g., suburban residence and homeownership). The findings provide evidence that the choices people may make in metropolitan areas regarding whether to commune with others are open to multiple sources of influence, inclusive of religion.

Party images in the American electorate

1. Pictures of Parties 2. Party Images in the Electorate as a Whole 3. Party Images and the Class Cleavage 4. Party Images and Race and Ethnicity 5. Party Images and Sex 6. Party Images and Religious Salience 7. Conclusion

Religiosity and psychological well‐being

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between religiosity and psychological well-being in a sample of Greek Orthodox Christians. Previous research has documented that personal devotion, participation in religious activities, and religious salience are positively associated with different criteria of psychological well-being. The sample (83 men and 280 women) with an age range from 18 to 48 years, was strongly skewed with respect to sex (77% female) and education level (95% were university students or university graduates). Religiosity was operationalized as church attendance, frequency of prayer and belief salience. In addition, a single item referring to beliefs about God was used. Depression, anxiety, loneliness, and general life satisfaction were selected as dependent variables because they reflect important dimensions of psychological well-being. Preliminary analyses showed that sex was significantly related to the three religiosity variables (church attendance, frequency of prayer, belief salience), with women being more religious than men. Consistent with previous research, correlations suggested that church attendance and belief salience were associated with better life satisfaction. The results of hierarchical regression analysis showed a significant positive association between anxiety and frequency of personal prayer. Finally, personal beliefs about God did not seem to relate to any of the psychological well-being measures. The results of the present study partially support the hypothesized association between religiosity and psychological well-being.

I am happy in my faith: the influence of religious affiliation, saliency, and practice on depressive symptoms and treatment preference

Religion is thought to significantly impact numerous areas of mental health, including depression. Using a 63-item questionnaire, the influence of religious affiliation, saliency, and practice on levels of depressive symptoms and treatment preference in a non-clinical sample of Christians, Muslims, Atheists, and Agnostics (N = 471) was investigated. No significant differences in depressive symptoms were found between affiliations. Saliency and frequency of practice had a weak negative correlation with depressive symptoms for Christians, but were not significant for Muslim participants. No significant differences of preference were found between affiliations for social, cognitive, and medical treatments. Treatment preference of religious-based treatments differed significantly between affiliations. Findings suggest that affiliation is not significantly related to depressive symptoms or treatment preference, and the influence of saliency and practice differs between religions. Limitations and implications of the current study are discussed, and directions for further research are identified.

Crime, Criminals, Treatment, and Punishment

Views toward crime, criminals, punishment, and treatment are shaped by social forces, which differ across nations. Most of the research in this area has been conducted among citizens of Western nations, yet crime and responding to it is a worldwide occurrence. This study compared the crime views of Indian and U.S. college students. It was found that there were significant differences between Indian and U.S. respondents in their views toward crime, criminals, punishment, and treatment. There were mixed views on punishment and rehabilitation among both groups of students. In a multivariate analysis controlling for gender, age, academic level, and religious saliency, nation of the respondent was one of the best predictors for these views. The differences in views were attributed partly to the cultural differences between the two nations.

Cross-Cultural Insight into the Association between Religiousness and Authoritarianism

The current study investigated the possible existence of a relationship between authoritarianism and religiousness and the possible strength of this potential relationship. The study involved samples from four cultural environments known to differ substantially in terms of religious salience and content: Slovenia (predominantly Catholic), Serbia (predominantly Eastern Orthodox), Bosnia and Herzegovina (predominantly Muslim), and the United States (predominantly Protestant). Religiousness was assessed by way of religious orientation (including intrinsic and extrinsic orientation) as proposed by Allport (1950), whereas authoritarianism was tapped by a modified Lane scale (1955). Results from zero-order correlations indicated a strong and positive association between authoritarianism and all types of religious orientation, regardless of the sample analyzed. Residualizing the main study constructs by demographic variables did not alter the results. The association changed only when each dimension of religious orientation was controlled for the effect of other dimensions. Results did not lend support to the hypothesis that authoritarianism is more strongly linked to those who are more extrinsically oriented.

Religious Involvement and Transitions into Adolescent Sexual Activities

Using two waves of data from the National Survey of Youth and Religion (2002, 2005), a national probability sample of 3,290 adolescents ages 13 to 17, we test whether religious involvement (church attendance, religious salience, private religiosity, and family religiosity) is associated with delayed transitions into sexual activities (sexual touching, oral sex, and sexual intercourse). We also consider whether the rate of these transitions varies according to important social characteristics (age, gender, and race/ethnicity). Our results suggest that multiple indicators of religious involvement (especially religious salience) are associated with delayed transitions into selected sexual activities. We also find that the rate of transition into sexual activities associated with private and family religiosity varies according to key social characteristics.

Religious involvement and depressive symptoms among Mexican‐origin adults in California

AbstractA burgeoning literature has documented generally salutary relationships between various aspects of religious involvement and mental health outcomes, including depressive symptoms. However, few of these studies have focused on Latinos (Hispanics), who now constitute the largest ethnic minority population in the United States. Our work addresses this gap in the literature. A number of hypotheses concerning main and contingent effects of religious attendance, salience, and consolation‐seeking are developed and tested, using data on a large (N=3,012) sample of Mexican‐origin adults drawn in the Fresno, CA area in 1995–1996. An initial inverse association between religious attendance and depressive symptoms disappears with controls for supportive social ties. However, an apparently salutary association between religious salience and depression persists despite all statistical controls; this relationship is present among both men and women, but it is significantly stronger for women. Contrary to expectations, there are signs that religious involvement may exacerbate the deleterious effects of discrimination and acculturation stress on depressive symptoms. A number of study implications, limitations, and directions for future research is discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

(When) are Religious People Nicer? Religious Salience and the 'Sunday Effect' on Pro-Social Behavior

Prior research has found mixed evidence for the long-theorized link between religiosity and pro-social behavior. To help overcome this divergence, we hypothesize that pro-social behavior is linked not to religiosity per se, but rather to the salience of religion and religious norms. We report on a field experiment that examines when auction participants will respond to an appeal to continue bidding for secular charitable causes. The results reveal that religious individuals are more likely than non-religious individuals to respond to an appeal for charity only on days that they visit their place of worship; on other days of the week, religiosity has no effect. Notably, the result persists after controlling for a host of factors that may influence bidding, but disappears when the appeal for charity is replaced by an appeal to bid for other reasons. Implications for the link between religion and pro-social behavior are discussed.

A longitudinal study on the role of spirituality in response to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer

This longitudinal study addressed the role of spirituality in women's response to breast cancer. Ninety-three women diagnosed with breast cancer were assessed on various measures of image of God, positive attitude, social well-being and emotional distress at pre-diagnosis, 6 months post-surgery and 1 year post-surgery. As compared to women who dropped out of the study, this sample reported religion to be less important in their daily lives. Path analyses showed evidence of direct and indirect effects of positive and negative images of God on emotional distress in cross-sectional but not longitudinal data. A positive image of God was related to greater concurrent distress while a negative image of God was indirectly related to greater distress through the pathways of social well-being and positive attitude. In the longitudinal path model, a pre-diagnosis measure of religious salience was the only aspect of spirituality that predicted an increase in distress at 1 year post-surgery. The cross-sectional analyses provided limited support for the "religious/spiritual mobilization" hypothesis as put forth by Pargament (The psychology of religion and coping. New York: Guilford Press, 1997). There was also limited support for the mediator variables of positive attitude and social well-being as mechanisms through which spirituality influences adjustment. Finally, there was no support that spirituality acted in a protective manner rather the negative elements of spirituality were more prominent in relation to various aspects of women's adjustment to breast cancer. Such results suggest that women who were less spiritually/religiously involved prior to the onset of breast cancer and who attempt to mobilize these resources under the stress of diagnosis may experience a negative process of spiritual struggle and doubt that, in turn, has implications for their long-term adjustment.

Control or Conviction: Religion and Adolescent Initiation of Marijuana Use

Much research on adolescent deviance has supported a theory of social control, asserting that the lack of ties to institutions (such as school and parents) increases an adolescent's likelihood of using illicit substances. Researchers in this tradition often posit religion as one among many sources of norm enforcement. Yet religion may impact adolescents' behavior more directly through its ability to create beliefs and identities that are incompatible with illegal substance use. This paper uses a nationally representative, longitudinal data set of adolescents, the National Study of Youth and Religion, to examine the influence of traditional measures of social control, religious social control, and a new measure of religious salience on the probability of adolescents' first marijuana use. Results demonstrate that religious salience is more predictive of this initiation than are measures of involvement with religious organizations and several common social control indicators. We also find substantial interactions between different forms of religiosity. In the conclusion, we consider broader implications for understanding religion's influence on deviance.

Religion and Alcohol Use among College Students: Exploring the Role of Domain-Specific Religious Salience

A growing body of work examines links between religious involvement and alcohol use patterns. Most studies in this vein have relied upon generic measures of religion such as affiliation, service attendance, or overall salience. This study contributes to the literature by developing refined measures of domain-specific religious salience, and exploring their links with the frequency of alcohol use in a diverse sample of college students. Results confirm the importance of domain-specific religious salience in shaping alcohol choices, but at the same time, also show that overall levels of such salience in this sample are relatively low, indicating that other influences (e.g., peers, parents) are also important. The effects of other religious variables (e.g., religious tradition, attendance, prayer) on drinking frequency are largely indirect, serving primarily to heighten the salience of religious convictions in the domain of alcohol behavior. Implications, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Religion

Tobacco, alcohol, and physical inactivity are now among the top 10 risk factors for mortality in the Americas region. Subsequently, a more complete understanding of the various cultural factors that influence health behaviors such as these is needed. This study investigates how religion influences the use of alcohol and cigarettes within a large, nationally representative sample of older adults in Mexico (Mexican Health and Aging Study, N = 10,399). Religious salience and participation in religious activities are both significantly associated with smoking status, but not alcohol use. This is one of the first studies to examine these associations in a developing country. Despite cultural differences, the negative relationship between religion and smoking in Mexico corresponds to associations seen in the United States and other Western countries. This type of information may be useful to health researchers, providers, and policy makers attempting to reduce deaths due to preventable causes.

The Interrelationships between Entrepreneurship and Religion

This article examines the interrelationships between religion and enterprise. The authors find that these are highly context-specific, and will vary markedly over time and social setting, mediated by other socio-cultural variables such as political structures and ideologies, and religious symbolism in the workplace. The individual elements making up an entrepreneur's belief matrix influence the entrepreneurial process. Where religious salience is high, entrepreneurs will tend to use religious criteria to inform their decision making, even if it harms their short-term commercial interests. Religious groups can also provide a resource for the generation of entrepreneurial social capital.

Religiosity and Desistance From Drug Use

Recent research acknowledges an inverse relationship between religiosity and crime (though some claim it is a modest one), but no desistance theories to date include religiosity in their model to help explain desistance from drug use. A better understanding of how religiosity is related to the initiation of and desistance from drug use can lead to more effective preventive and rehabilitative interventions. Data derived from Wave 5 to Wave 7 of the National Youth Survey are employed to test whether religiosity exerts an effect on initiation of and desistance from drug use. The findings suggest religious behavior has a direct effect on individuals' desistance from marijuana and hard-drug use. On the other hand, religious salience has a significant deterrent effect only on the onset of drug use; it does not have a significant effect on individuals' desistance from drugs. Policy implications are discussed, and future research suggestions are offered.

Predictors of Preventive Health Care Use Among Middle-aged and Older Adults in Mexico: The Role of Religion

Research has shown that religion is associated with a wide range of health behaviors among adults of all ages. Although there is strong support for religion's influence on behaviors such as drinking and smoking, less is known about the possible relationship between religion and the use of preventive health services. This relationship may be particularly important in Mexico, a country with high levels of religiousness and low levels of preventive service utilization. The current study uses a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older adults in Mexico (n = 9,890) to test the association between three facets of religion and three preventive services aimed at detecting chronic conditions or underlying risk factors. The findings show that religious salience is significantly related to the use of blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, even after controlling for a variety of social, demographic, and health-related factors. In addition, attending religious services and participating in religious activities are both positively associated with blood pressure and diabetes screening. This type of research adds to our knowledge of the determinants of preventive service utilization, as well as to the burgeoning literature on religion and health. Furthermore, because the vast majority of research in this field takes place in more developed and Westernized countries, such as the US and Western Europe, analyzing this relationship in a sample of older Mexicans is critical for providing the field with a more comparative orientation.

Assessing Intermediate Outcomes of a Faith-Based Residential Prisoner Reentry Program

Objective: This study examined intermediate outcomes of a faith-based prisoner reentry program by assessing how client spirituality related to client- and program-level characteristics, investigating differences between completers and terminators, and examining how religious preference, religiosity/spirituality, religious salience, and incarceration's impact on spirituality influenced program completion, satisfaction, and perceived progress. Method: The study employed independent t tests, chi-square tests, and regression models to examine the influence of predictor variables. Results: Religious preference was positively associated with progress and satisfaction. In addition, individuals reporting decreases in spirituality during prison were 34 times as likely to drop out of the program compared to those who had more positive in-prison spiritual changes. Salience, general religiosity/spirituality, and spiritual experiences did not predict outcomes. Implications of the findings are discussed.

The Personal and Normative Image of God: The Role of Religious Culture and Mental Health

This article focuses on the difference between the personal God image and the God image that people perceive as normative, that is to say, the God image they believe they should have according to religious culture. A sample of 544 Dutch respondents, of which 244 received psychotherapy, completed the Dutch Questionnaire of God Images (QGI). In general, there appeared to be a discrepancy between the personal and the normative God image. Whether discrepancies were experienced as conflictive was related to religious denomination and mental health. Conflictive feelings were associated with lower religious saliency and higher educational level. Moreover, they were associated with mental health per se and the interaction between mental health and denomination, with patients reporting more conflicts than normals except in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox-Reformed group, where patients and non-patients hardly differed in the experience of conflict.