Are religions growing or declining? Self-reported religion and personality
It is not clear whether religions are on the rise or fall today. The present study investigated whether personality trait factors can predict the combined growth of religious affiliations and non-affiliations (i.e., the number of people who self-identify with a religion or do not identify with any r...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Drustvo Psihologa Srbije
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | Psihologija |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0048-5705/2022/0048-57052200007S.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811301312166363136 |
|---|---|
| author | Senay Ibrahim |
| author_facet | Senay Ibrahim |
| author_sort | Senay Ibrahim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is not clear whether religions are on the rise or fall today. The present study investigated whether personality trait factors can predict the combined growth of religious affiliations and non-affiliations (i.e., the number of people who self-identify with a religion or do not identify with any religion) across socio-cultural contexts through an analysis of online survey data collected from 111 countries and 4,270 individuals. In a multiple-discriminant analysis, religion self-reports constituted three independent dimensions. Religious affiliations and non-affiliations (whether a person identifies as a member of a specific religion or identifies him/ herself as an atheist or agnostic) formed separate clusters along one axis, while on the other two, they did not. Across countries, religions’ growth rates significantly predicted the trait factor configuration classifying religious affiliations (seeing oneself as a member of a specific religion) differently from non-affiliations (seeing oneself as an atheist or an agnostic). The personality profile grouping affiliations together with non-affiliations had a non-significant relationship with religions’ growth rates. In sum, although self-identifying with no religion (i.e., agnosticism and atheism) might not replace affiliating with a religion in the short run, it can show a non-significant trend toward competing with adhering to most popular religions. The results may have implications for understanding the impact of religious pluralism on religions’ growth rates and the different growth trends associated with the complexity of religious affiliations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:06:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4997373d57114acd8b6c3fad27319e90 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0048-5705 1451-9283 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:06:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Drustvo Psihologa Srbije |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psihologija |
| spelling | doaj.art-4997373d57114acd8b6c3fad27319e902022-12-22T02:56:59ZengDrustvo Psihologa SrbijePsihologija0048-57051451-92832022-01-0155441542610.2298/PSI210719007S0048-57052200007SAre religions growing or declining? Self-reported religion and personalitySenay Ibrahim0Department of Psychology, Uskudar University, Istanbul, TurkeyIt is not clear whether religions are on the rise or fall today. The present study investigated whether personality trait factors can predict the combined growth of religious affiliations and non-affiliations (i.e., the number of people who self-identify with a religion or do not identify with any religion) across socio-cultural contexts through an analysis of online survey data collected from 111 countries and 4,270 individuals. In a multiple-discriminant analysis, religion self-reports constituted three independent dimensions. Religious affiliations and non-affiliations (whether a person identifies as a member of a specific religion or identifies him/ herself as an atheist or agnostic) formed separate clusters along one axis, while on the other two, they did not. Across countries, religions’ growth rates significantly predicted the trait factor configuration classifying religious affiliations (seeing oneself as a member of a specific religion) differently from non-affiliations (seeing oneself as an atheist or an agnostic). The personality profile grouping affiliations together with non-affiliations had a non-significant relationship with religions’ growth rates. In sum, although self-identifying with no religion (i.e., agnosticism and atheism) might not replace affiliating with a religion in the short run, it can show a non-significant trend toward competing with adhering to most popular religions. The results may have implications for understanding the impact of religious pluralism on religions’ growth rates and the different growth trends associated with the complexity of religious affiliations.http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0048-5705/2022/0048-57052200007S.pdfreligious affiliationreligious non-affiliationreligion growth ratespersonality |
| spellingShingle | Senay Ibrahim Are religions growing or declining? Self-reported religion and personality Psihologija religious affiliation religious non-affiliation religion growth rates personality |
| title | Are religions growing or declining? Self-reported religion and personality |
| title_full | Are religions growing or declining? Self-reported religion and personality |
| title_fullStr | Are religions growing or declining? Self-reported religion and personality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are religions growing or declining? Self-reported religion and personality |
| title_short | Are religions growing or declining? Self-reported religion and personality |
| title_sort | are religions growing or declining self reported religion and personality |
| topic | religious affiliation religious non-affiliation religion growth rates personality |
| url | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0048-5705/2022/0048-57052200007S.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT senayibrahim arereligionsgrowingordecliningselfreportedreligionandpersonality |