Self, struggle, and soul: Linking personality, self-concept, and religious/spiritual struggle. (October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grubbs, Joshua B.; Wilt, Joshua; Stauner, Nicholas; Exline, Julie J.; Pargament, Kenneth I.
• Is Part Of: Personality and individual differences. Volume 101(2016)
• Page Start: 144
• Page End: 152
• Publication Date: 2016-10
• Subjects: Big five -- Self compassion -- Self esteem -- Entitlement -- Religion -- Spirituality -- Self concept; Personality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Personality Development -- Periodicals; Personnalité -- Périodiques; Individualité -- Périodiques; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.05.365
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-8869

Abstract

Abstract: Religious and spiritual (r/s) struggles are common experiences and robust predictors of poor mental and physical health outcomes. The present study sought to examine the role of personality and self-concept in predicting r/s struggles both concurrently and longitudinally. Four samples were collected ( total N = 5015), involving three cross-sectional samples of undergraduates and a cross-sectional and 1-month longitudinal sample of adult web-users. Across samples, aspects of personality (e.g., low self-esteem, high entitlement, high neuroticism) consistently predicted the concurrent experience of r/s struggles. Longitudinally, facets of self-concept (e.g., low self-esteem, low agreeableness) also predicted r/s struggle, even when baseline levels of r/s struggle were controlled, further demonstrating that personality and self-concept likely play a role in the experience of r/s struggles. Highlights: Personality is related to the experience of religious and spiritual struggle. Personality predicts both total experience of struggle and specific struggles. These relationships are replicable across diverse samples ( N > 5000). Some of these relationships were evident both concurrently and over time.