Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Contribution of Religiousness and Spirituality to Subjective Wellbeing and Satisfaction with Life

  • Chapter
Book cover International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Religion and Education ((IHRE,volume 3))

Abstract

This chapter examines the numinous constructs of religiousness and spirituality relative to one another and to the five-factor model of personality (FFM). An empirical approach to defining numinous measures that involves the FFM will be outlined. The value of this approach will be highlighted through an examination of spirituality and religiousness’ relations to subjective wellbeing. A review of the literature demonstrates that spirituality and religiousness have an unmediated impact on levels of life satisfaction. Two important conclusions will be developed from these findings. First, the numinous constructs represent universal human motivations that are not redundant with extant models of personality. Thus, any model of human functioning needs to include these constructs, if it is to be comprehensive. Second, because numinous constructs have the potential for impacting psychological functioning, the potential exists for the identification of a new class of intervention techniques that can promote durable psychological change.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 429.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 549.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Allport, G. W. (1950). The individual and his religion. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, F. M., & Withey, S. B. (1976). Social indicators of well-being: American’s perceptions of life quality. New York: Plenum.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bartlett, S. J., Piedmont, R. L., Bilderback, A. Matsumoto, A. K., & Bathon, J. M. (2003). Spirituality, well-being and quality of life in persons with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care and Research, 49, 778–783.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradburn, N. M. (1969). The structure of psychological well-being. Chicago, IL: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buss, D. M. (2002). Sex, marriage, and religion: What adaptive problems do religious phenomena solve? Psychological Inquiry, 13, 201–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa, P. T., Jr., & McCrae, R. R. (1992). Revised NEO personality inventory: Professional manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dy-Liacco, G. S., Piedmont, R. L., Leach, M. M., & Nelson, R. W. (2003). A content analysis of Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion from 1997 to 2001: Where we have been and where we hope to go. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 14, 277–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Funder, D. C., Kolar, D. C., & Blackman, M. C. (1995). Agreement among judges of personality: Interpersonal relations, similarity, and acquaintanceship. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 656–672.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallup, G. (1995). The Gallup Poll: Public opinion 1995. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, L. R. (1993). The structure of phenotypic personality traits. American Psychologist, 48, 26–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Golden, J., Piedmont, R. L., Ciarrocchi, J. W., & Rodgerson, T. (2004). Spirituality and burnout: An incremental validity study. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 32, 115–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, J. M. (2002). Psychological well-being in the Jewish community: The impact of social identity and spirituality. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Kent State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorsuch, R. L. (1984). Measurement: The boon and bane of investigating religion. American Psychologist, 39, 228–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorsuch, R. L. (1990). Measurement in psychology of religion revisited. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 9, 82–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heath, A. C., Neale, M. C., Kessler, R. C., Eavers, L. J., & Kendler, K. S. (1992). Evidence for genetic influences on personality from self-reports and informant ratings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 85–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, P. C., & Hood, R. W., Jr. (1999). Measures of religiosity. Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, P. C., & Pargament, K. I. (2003). Advances in the conceptualization and measurement of religion and spirituality: Implications for physical and mental health research. American Psychologist, 58, 64–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, P. C., Pargament, K. I., Hood, R. W., McCullough, M. E., Swyers, J. P, Larson, D. B., et al. (2000). Conceptualizing religion and spirituality: Points of commonality, points of departure. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, 30, 51–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunsley, J., & Meyer, G. J. (2003). The incremental validity of psychological testing and assessment: Conceptual, methodological, and statistical issues. Psychological Assessment, 15, 446–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joiner, T. E., Perez, M., & Walker, R. L. (2002). Playing devil’s advocate: Why not conclude that the relation of religiosity to mental health reduces to mundane mediators? Psychological Inquiry, 13, 214–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H. G. (1997). Is religion good for your health? The effects of religion on physical and mental health. Binghamton, New York: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H. G. (2008). Concerns about measuring “spirituality” in research. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 196, 349–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H. G., McCullough, M. E., & Larson, D. B. (2001). Handbook of religion and health. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, D. B., & Larson, S. S. (2008). Spirituality’s potential relevance to physical and emotional health: A brief review of the quantitative research. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 37–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T., Jr. (1987). Validation of the five-factor model of personality across instruments and observers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 81–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T., Jr. (1995). Trait explanations in personality psychology. European Journal of Personality, 9, 231–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., & John, O. P. (1992). An introduction to the five-factor model and its applications. Journal of Personality, 57, 415–433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, W. R., & Thoresen, C. E. (1999). Spirituality and health. In W. Miller (Ed.), Integrating spirituality into treatment (pp. 3–18). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, W. R., & Thoresen, C. E. (2003). Spirituality, religion, and health: An emerging research field. American Psychologist, 58, 24–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray-Swank, N. (2003). Solace for the soul: An evaluation of a psycho-spiritual intervention for female survivors of sexual abuse. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio.

    Google Scholar 

  • Musick, M. A., Traphagan, J. W., Koenig, H. G., & Larson, D. B. (2000). Spirituality in physical health and aging. Journal of Adult Development, 7, 73–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozer, D. J., & Reise, S. P. (1994). Personality assessment. Annual Review of Psychology, 45, 357–388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paloutzian, R. F., & Park, C. L. (2005), The handbook of the psychology of religion. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K. I. (1997). The psychology of religion and coping: Theory, research, practice. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K. I. (2002). Is religion nothing but …? Explaining religion versus explaining religion away. Psychological Inquiry, 13, 239–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K. I., Koenig, H. G., Tarakeshwar, M. A., & Hahn, J. (2001). Religious struggle as a predictor of mortality among medically ill elderly patients: A two-year longitudinal study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 161, 1881–1885.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K. I., Smith, B. W., Koenig, H. G., & Perez, L. (1998). Patterns of positive and negative religious coping with major life stressors. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 37, 710–724.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L. (1994). Validation of the NEO PI-R observer form for college students: Toward a paradigm for studying personality development. Assessment, 1, 259–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L. (1998). The revised NEO Personality inventory: Clinical and research applications. New York: Plenum.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L. (1999). Strategies for using the five-factor model of personality in religious research. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 27, 338–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L. (2001). Spiritual transcendence and the scientific study of spirituality. Journal of Rehabilitation, 67, 4–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L. (2004a). Spiritual Transcendence as a predictor of psychosocial outcome from an outpatient substance abuse program. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18, 223–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L. (2004b). The logoplex as a paradigm for understanding spiritual transcendence. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 15, 263–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L. (2005). Assessment of spirituality and religious sentiments, technical manual. Baltimore, MD; Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L. (2007). Cross-cultural generalizability of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale to the Philippines: Spirituality as a human universal. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 10, 80–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L. (2009). Personality, spirituality, religiousness and Axis II functioning: Predictive relations and treatment implications. In H. Koenig and P. Huguelet (Eds.). The role of religion and spirituality in psychiatry (pp. 173–189). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L., Hassinger, C. J., Rhorer, J., Sherman, M. F., Sherman, N. C., & Williams, J. E. G. (2007). The relations among spirituality and religiosity and Axis II functioning in two college samples. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 18, 53–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piedmont, R. L., & Leach, M. M. (2002). Cross-cultural generalizability of the Spiritual Transcendence Scale in India: Spirituality as a universal aspect of human experience. American Behavioral Scientist, 45, 1888–1901.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the self. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruckmick, C. A. (1920). The brevity book on psychology. Chicago, IL: Brevity Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saroglou, V. (2002). Religion and the five-factors of personality: A meta-analytic review. Personality and Individual Differences, 32, 15–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sawatzky, R., Ratner, P. A., & Chiu, L. (2005). A meta-analysis of the relationship between spirituality and quality of life. Social Indicators Research, 72, 153–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sloan, R. P., & Bagiella, R. (2002). Claims about religious involvement and health outcomes. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24, 14–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sloan, R. P., Bagiella, R., & Powell, T. (2001). Without a prayer: Methodological problems, ethical challenges, and misrepresentation in the study of religion, spirituality, and medicine. In T. G. Plante & A. C. Sherman (Eds.), Faith and health: Psychological perspectives (pp. 339–354). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, C. R., Simpson, S. C., Ybasco, F. C., Borders, T. F., Babyak, M. A., & Higgins, R. L. (1996). Development and validation of the state Hope Scale. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 321–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thoresen, C. E. (1999). Spirituality and health: Is there a relationship? Journal of Health Psychology, 4, 291–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Wicklin, J. F. (1990). Conceiving and measuring ways of being religious. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 9, 27–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, T. (2004). Ethnic identity and spirituality in the recovery from alcoholism among aboriginal Canadians. Unpublished Masters Thesis, University of Windsor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zinnbauer, B. J., Pargament, K. I., & Scott, A. B. (1999). The emerging meanings of religiousness and spirituality: Problems and prospects. Journal of Personality, 67, 889–920.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pastoral Counseling, Loyola College in Maryland, 21045, MD, USA

    Ralph L. Piedmont

Authors
  1. Ralph L. Piedmont
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ralph L. Piedmont .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National School of Religious Education, Australian Catholic University, 1200 Mair St, Ballarat Campus, 3350, Ballarat, VIC, Australia

    Marian de Souza

  2. Warwick Inst. Education, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK

    Leslie J. Francis

  3. School of Education Studies, Dublin City University, Dublin, Glasnevin, Ireland

    James O’Higgins-Norman

  4. School of Child & Youth Care, University of Victoria, V8W 2Y2, Victoria, BC, Canada

    Daniel Scott

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Piedmont, R.L. (2009). The Contribution of Religiousness and Spirituality to Subjective Wellbeing and Satisfaction with Life. In: de Souza, M., Francis, L.J., O’Higgins-Norman, J., Scott, D. (eds) International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing. International Handbooks of Religion and Education, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9018-9_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation