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Political Affiliation, Spirituality, and Religiosity: Links to Emerging Adults’ Life Satisfaction and Optimism

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Abstract

The goal of this study was to extend the existing literature regarding the intersection between belief systems shaping psychological processes and subjective well-being among emerging adults. A nationwide sample of 3966 college students reported on their political affiliation, spirituality, and religiosity in relation to their subjective well-being. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that politically conservative participants were significantly more optimistic and satisfied with life than their liberal counterparts and Republican emerging adults reported significantly higher life satisfaction than Democrats. Republican emerging adults also reported significantly higher rates of religiosity and spirituality than Democratic and Independent politically affiliated emerging adults. Our findings corroborate and expand upon existing literature regarding belief systems and political identity as determinants of subjective well-being in emerging adults.

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Correspondence to Gina M. Brelsford.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Ozmen, C.B., Brelsford, G.M. & Danieu, C.R. Political Affiliation, Spirituality, and Religiosity: Links to Emerging Adults’ Life Satisfaction and Optimism. J Relig Health 57, 622–635 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0477-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0477-y

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