Religious Motivation in Middle Age: Correlates and Implications
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the relative relationship of self-rated health, age, sex, race, three measures of self-concept (actual, appearance, and ideal), education, occupation, and locus of control to religious motivation in middle age. The subjects were 301 men and women between the ages of 45 and 65 years from 22 randomly selected United Methodist churches. The results of the study show that factors reflective of the process of acculturation such as sex, ideal self-concept, and locus of control maintain the strongest relationship with religious motivation. Women, persons who have high idealized self-concepts, and adults who believe that what happens to them is under their personal control are less likely than others to be extrinsically motivated or to show a "self-centered" dependence upon religion. Consequently, the findings suggest that an important relationship may exist between the "comfort" or "challenge" functions of religion and spiritual well-being in later life for middle-aged groups.
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Of the 25 highest-rigor studies on R/S and self-esteem, 17 (68%) reported greater self-esteem and two (8%) found worse self-esteem.
“Of the 25 studies with the highest methodological rigor, 17 (68%) reported greater self-esteem [91–98] and two (8%) found worse self-esteem [99, 100].”
From Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications (2012) · cites this paper as [97]
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- Authors
- Kivett, V. R.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kivett, V. R.
- Venue
- Journal of Gerontology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1979-01-01
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 106-115
- ISSN
- 0022-1422 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1983020688
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2014: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Gerontology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- religious motivation, middle age (human life stage), self-concept, ideal self, locus of control, sex differences, acculturation, extrinsic motivation, spiritual well-being, old age, United Methodist Church
- MeSH terms
- Educational Status, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, North Carolina, Occupations, Religion, Self Concept, Sex Factors
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