Personal ideology: A unifying framework for relating religiosity, religious coping, and well-being
Abstract
This dissertation examined a new theoretical model that uses Tomkin's (1963; 1987) personal ideology construct and its underlying dimensions of humanism and normativism to connect aspects of religiosity, religious coping, and well-being. This study of 193 undergraduate students at a private Midwestern university investigated relationships between personal ideology, religiosity (beliefs, practices, and motivation), religious coping (five methods), and well-being (psychological, social, and religious). The primary focus was to investigate how the overarching structure of personal ideology is connected with religiosity, religious coping, and well-being. Furthermore, the connections between religiosity, religious coping, and well-being were investigated. The analyses showed that one aspect of religiosity (beliefs) was significantly related to personal ideology, but other aspects of religiosity (practices and motivation) were not. Personal ideology was also significantly related to social well-being. The analyses showed that personal ideology was not related to religious coping methods. Significant relationships were evident among religious motivation and religious practices; religious beliefs and motivation; religious beliefs and coping; and between religious beliefs, motivation, coping and well-being variables.
This paper has been withdrawn.