Personality Correlates Between Fundamentalist and Non
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Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 2001 Personality Correlates Between Fundamentalist and Non-Fundamentalist Individuals as Measured by the NEO PI-R and the Religious Fundamentalism Scale Jason Andrew Witt Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Clinical Psychology at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Witt, Jason Andrew, "Personality Correlates Between Fundamentalist and Non-Fundamentalist Individuals as Measured by the NEO PI-R and the Religious Fundamentalism Scale" (2001). Masters Theses. 1591. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1591 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. thesisreproduce Page 1of2 THESIS/F-IEL-O~XP-E-RIE-NCE PAPER REPRODUCTION CERTIFICATE TO: Graduat~-DeQree Candidates .(who ~.wiittao 1rumaJ theses) SUBJECT: Permission to Reproduce Theses The University Library is receiving .a 11umber .DJ request .from .atheI.institutions asking permission to reproduce dissertations for inclusion in their library holdings. Although no copyright laws are involved, we feel that professionaJ courtesy demands that permission.be obtained fr.om.the authar ..before ws .allow these to be copied. PLEASE SIGN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: Booth Library,4 Eastern Illinois URiver:sity..ha$..my permi&&ior:i to leRd n:iy~esis.to..a reputable-GOllege or university for the purpose of copying it for inclusion in that institution's library or research holdings. \.'Q. '\.' .C), Author's Signature Date I respectfully.1equest Booth Libr~.Qf.Ea&tern~ Ur:iivei:5ity NOT-allow my t~.to-be reproduced because: Author's Signature Date This form must be submitted in duplicate http://www.eiu.edu/-graduate/thesisreproduce.htm 12/10/2001 Personality Correlates Between Fundamentalist and Non-Fundamentalist Individuals as Measured by the NEO PI-Rand the Religious Fundamentalism Scale BY Jason Andrew Witt THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 2001 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE /~- // -Cl/ Date ..,...J?esis ~tor Date Department/School Head PERSONALITY CORRELATES BETWEEN FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGIOUS AND NON- FUNAMENTALIST INDIVIDUALS AS MEASURED BY THE NEO PI- R AND THE RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM SCALE Jason A. Witt Eastern Illinois University Personality and Religious Fundamentalism 4 ABSTRACT The relationship between religious fundamentalism and personality was examined. Over 150 students total, from two Midwestern universities were administered the NEO PI-R and the Religious Fundamentalism Scale. It was predicted that the individuals who scored highly on the RF Scale would score significantly higher on the Neuroticism scale and significantly lower on the Openness scale of the NEO PI-R than the non-fundamentalists. Results of the study confirmed the prediction that Openness would be significantly lower for fundamentalists, K (1, 103) = 11.093, E < 0 . 001. Results did not confirm the prediction that Neuroticism would be significantly higher for fundamentalists, but showed that Agreeableness was significantly higher for fundamentalists, K (1,103) = 11.127, E < 0.001. Possible reasons for the differences in personality scores between fundamentalists and non fundamentalists were discussed, as well as suggestions for future research in this area. Personality and Religious Fundamentalism 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to extend a special thank you to Joseph Williams, Ph.D., William Kirk, Ph.D., and Russell Gruber, Ph.D. for their patience, hard work, and direction that they provided me with, not only in my efforts with this research project, but as a therapist as well. I also wish to extend a very special acknowledgement to my fiance, Kristy Westphal, for all of her love, support, and encouragement that have helped me through this and many other trials in my life. I would like to thank my parents for the positive example that they have set for me to accept and show compassion toward all individuals, regardless of race, creed, or color. Finally, I would like to thank Eastern Illinois University and Olivet Nazarene University for providing me with subjects without whom this research would not have been possible. Personality and Religious Fundamentalism 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Thesis Reproduction Certificate.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 Title Page.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 Title Page (ii)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 Abstract~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4 Acknowledgements~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5 Table of Contents~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6 Introduction~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7 Religious fundamentalism and personality~~~~~~- 10 Method.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 14 Participants~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 14 Materials~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 14 Procedure~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 17 Results~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- 18 Discussi on~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 21 References~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 25 Appendix A: Main study packet.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 29 Inforrned consent form,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 29 Demographic information form~. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 30 Instruction page.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- 30 NEO PI - R.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 32 Religiou s Fundamentalism Scale.~~~~~~~~~~~~- 33 Personality and Religious Fundamentalism 7 Religion plays a major role in the lives of many individuals in the world today, and it can be a defining characteristic of who that individual is. Research in personality psychology makes an attempt to identify the defining characteristics of individuals. As a result, analysis of the relationship between religious belief and personality is important. Much of the previous research in this area has involved use of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ; Eysenck & Eysenck, 1975) which was designed to measure personality in non-normal populations and has yielded mixed results. However, there exists an instrument designed to measure personality in normal populations. This instrument is called the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992.) The NEO PI-R measures personality constructs such as openness to new experience that are not measured by the EPQ. Openness to new experience has been shown to be a measurable difference between fundamentalists and non-fundamentalists (Streyffeler, 1998). As a result, the NEO may be a more effective instrument than the EPQ when doing research in this area. Studies involving personality and religious attitudes or religiosity have examined the relationship between religiosity and psychoticisrn (Kay, 1981; Francis & Pearson, 1985a; Caird, 1987; Maltby, Talley, Cooper, & Leslie, 1994), Personality and Religious Fundamentalism 8 neuroticism (Francis, Pearson, Carter, & Kay, 1981; Francis, 1992), extraversion (Francis & Pearson, 1985b), and introversion (Francis, Pearson, & Kay, 1983). None of those studies involved the use of the NEO PI-R, since this inventory has only recently become more popular. The development of the revised NEO instrument (NEO PI-R) has occurred in just the last ten years, while the EPQ has been used in studies since the 1970's. It is primarily for this reason that the EPQ has been used in studies of religion rather than the NEO PI-R. However, use of the NEO PI-R is growing in popularity . Because of the unique scales it measures and because it is designed to measure personality constructs of a normal population, its use is possibly more appropriate in this study than the use of the EPQ. The NEO was developed as a result of three decades of research in the construction of five orthogonal personality trait dimensions. These five dimensions are known as the five-factor model of personality (FFM) and have been labeled: Neuroticism, the tendency to experience negative affect, such as anxiety, depression, and hostility; Extraversion, which reflects the quantity and intensity of one's interpersonal interactions; Openness to Experience, the proactive seeking and appreciation of new experiences; Agreeableness, the quality of one's interpersonal interactions along a continuum from compassion to Personality and Religious Fundamentalism 9 antagonism; and, finally, Conscientiousness, the persistence, organization, and motivation exhibited in goal directed behaviors (Costa & McCrae, 1985). This five factor model has "been shown to provide an adequate taxonomy of personality characteristics." (Piedmont, Williams, & Ciarrocchi, 1997; Digman, 1990; Goldberg, 1993; Mccrae & John, 1992) . Both the EPQ and NEO PI-R have been used to measure religious attitudes, but most of these studies have not addressed the personality characteristics of religious fundamentalists. Altemeyer and Hunsberger (1992) have described religious fundamentalism as " ... a system of beliefs which holds that there is one set of religious teachings that clearly contains the fundamental, basic, intrinsic, essential, and inherent truth about humanity and deity; that this essential truth is fundamentally opposed by forces of evil which must be vigorously fought; that this truth must be followed today according to the fundamental, unchangeable practices of the past; and that those who believe and follow these fundamental teachings have a special relationship with the deity.". Some recent studies