An Investigation of the Differences in Religious Conflict and Anxiety
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University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 12-1981 An Investigation of the Differences in Religious Conflict and Anxiety Among Religiously Fundamentalist Students Enrolled in Hiwassee College, Johnson Bible College, and The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Clarence Victor McCall Jr. University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons Recommended Citation McCall, Clarence Victor Jr., "An Investigation of the Differences in Religious Conflict and Anxiety Among Religiously Fundamentalist Students Enrolled in Hiwassee College, Johnson Bible College, and The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1981. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/3256 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Clarence Victor McCall Jr. entitled "An Investigation of the Differences in Religious Conflict and Anxiety Among Religiously Fundamentalist Students Enrolled in Hiwassee College, Johnson Bible College, and The University of Tennessee, Knoxville." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education, with a major in Education. Karl J. Jost, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Clinton B. Allison, David L. Dungan, Robert Howard, W. Lee Humphreys, & Anand Malik Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Counci l: I am submitting herewi th a dissertation wri tten by Clarence Victor McCall , Jr. entitled "An Investi gation of the Differences in Religious Confl ict and Anxiety Among Rel igiously Fundamenta list Students Enrol led in Hiwassee Col lege , Johnson Bible College, and The Uni versity of Tennessee, Knoxvi lle." I have examined the final copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial ful fi llment of the requi rements for the degree of Doctor of Education, wi th a major in Curriculum and Instruction. We have read this dis sertation and recommend its acceptance : �@/� ��-k,� ( -:2v k /�' � Accepted for the Counci l: Vice Chancel lor Graduate Studies and Research AN INVESTIGATION OF THE DIFFERENCES IN RELIGIOUS CONFLICT AND ANXI ETY AMONG RELIGIOUSLY FUNDAMENTALIST STUDENTS ENROLLED IN HIWASSEE COLLEGE, JOHNSON BIBLE COLLEGE, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, KNOXVILLE A Di ssertation Presented for the Doctor of Education Degree The Uni versity of Tennessee , Knoxville Clarence Victor McCal l, Jr. December 1981 305808{) P..CK�!m1LEDG�·1ENTS I ,.,ant to thank the n:P.mhers of my committee--Or. Karl t1. Jost, Dr. Clinton B . .A.llison, Or. David L. Dungan, Dr. P.obert Howard, Dr . W. Lee Humphreys, and Dr. Anand Malik--for their puidance, suqgestions, and encourage�ent during the course of this study. A special thank you is also in order for the 301 subiects, without whose cooperation this investioation would have been ifT'possible. i i ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in religious confl ict and anxiety among religiously fundamentalist students enrolled in three institutions in East Tennessee. It was felt that such an inquiry woul d provide insight into the difficulties encountered by the religiously fundamentalist student as that person moves and functions in higher education . The subjects were 301 freshman students. The study was accompl i shed in two phases. Phase one invol ved meeting with freshman English classes at two of the institutions and introductory Sociology classes at the other institution and aski ng the students to provide certain biographical information as wel l as mark their answers on four brief tests designed to measure socio-economic status, religious fundamentalism, anxiety, and religious confl ict. Phase two of the study consisted of 30 interviews; 10 students from each of the 3 schools. Interviewees were chosen on the basis of scores earned on the tests . Statistical techniques used were correlation and analysis of variance . The general findings of the study were as fol lows : 1. Twenty percent of all students reported strong rel igi ous confl ict and anxiety accompanied by such difficulties as inability to sleep, eat or study; severe stomach pains; mental anguish; inability to concentrate; and daydreaming. The classroom was found to be a main source of rel igi ous confl ict. iii iv 2. The variables rel igi ous fundamentalism and anxiety were not correlated at either of the three institutions. 3. The variables rel i9ious fundamental ism and religious confl ict were negatively corre lated at each of the three institu tions. 4. Rel igious confl ict was positively correlated wi th anxiety at the three insti tutions . 5. There were considerable differences among the three school s with respect to religious fundamental ism and religious confl ict though not anxiety. 6. Rel igi ous fundamental ism, religious confl ict, and anxiety were related positively or negati vely to one or more of the fol lowing personal data variabl es depending upon whether insti tutional scores or total scores were used : consent to be interviewed, rel igious preference , denomi national preference, sex, state of residence, size of community of res idence, socio-economic status, attendance at church and Sunday School , or grade point average . The major variables were not related to age or approximate size of home church . I TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 1 Need for the Study . 2 Operational Definition of Terms • 8 Confl ict • . • 8 Rel igious confl ict 8 Re 1 i g ion , . 8 Rel igi ous fundamental ism 9 Religious fundamental ist 9 Anxiety • • 10 Adjustment . • . • . 10 Assumptions of the Study • 10 Questions • . 11 Del imi tations of the Study 11 II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 13 Summary 40 III. METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN 41 Questions • 41 Research Hypotheses . 41 Statistical Procedures 44 Ty pe of Research . 44 Measurement of Variabl es • 44 Rel igious Fundamental ism Scale 47 IPAT Anxiety Scale Questionnaire . 49 The Religious Confl ict Scale 50 The interview . 52 General Information Data Sheet . 56 A Scale for Assessing Socio-Economic Status in Survey Research . 56 Procedures--Overview . 58 Procedures--Survey Phase 58 Sample . • . 58 Method of action • . 59 Procedures--I nterview Phase 61 Sample 62 v vi CHAPTER PAGE Method of action 62 Method of analysis of interviews 64 IV. INTERVI E\� PHAS E 65 Interview Procedures and Analysis of Interviewees• Scores 65 Summary and Findings . • . • 67 Summary and Findings of Interviews at Johnson Bible Col l ege . 68 Review of genera l information data sheet 68 Review of socio-economic status 68 Review of fundamental ism test 69 Review of religious confl ict 69 Review of anxiety 71 Case Study 2, Dearon 75 Johnson Bible Col lege : Summary . 78 Summary and Findings of Intervie�;Js at The Uni versity of Tennessee , Knoxville . 81 Review of genera l information sheet 81 Review of socio-economic status score 81 Review of fundamentalism test 81 Review of religious confl ict 82 Re vie\'J of anxiety 86 Case Study 3, Marisa • . 88 The Uni versity of Tennessee , Knoxville: Summary 91 Summary and Findings of Intervie�;Js at Hiwassee College 94 Review of general information data sheet 94 Review of socio-economic score . 95 Review of fundamental ism score . 95 Review of religious confl ict score 96 Review of anxiety score 99 Case Study 1, Zandra . 100 Hiwassee College : Summary . 104 Interview Phase: Summary and Conclusions . 106 V. SURVEY PHASE 112 Analysis of Data Rel ating to Primary Hypotheses • 112 Fundamentalism Scores by School and as a Total • 112 Religious Confl ict Scores by School and as a Total . 115 Anxiety Scores by School and as a Total 117 Analysis of the Relationships Among Fundamentalism, Religious Confl ict, and Anxi ety by Schools and as Totals . 120 vii CHAPTER PAGE Analysis of Data Relating to Secondary Hy potheses 124 Attendance at Sunday School and Church 125 Size of Community of Resi dence of Persons Surveyed by School and as a Total 127 State of Residence of Persons Surveyed by School and as a Tota 1 . 127 Age of Persons Surveyed by School and as a Total . 130 Rel igi ous Preference by Schools and as a Total 133 Protestant Denomi national Preference by Schools and as a Total . 136 Socio-Economic Status by Schools and as a Total 139 Sex of Persons Surveyed by School and as a Total . 142 Grade Point Average of Students Surveyed at Hiwassee Col l ege 142 Size of Church of Persons Surveyed by School and as a Total . 145 Consent to be Interviewed by Schools and as a Total 147 Analys is of the Relationship of the Variables Attendance at Church and Sunday School , Consent to be In terviewed , Rel igious Preference, Denomi national Preference , Age , State of Residence, Size of Community of Residence, Socio-Economi c Status , Sex, to the Hypothesized Rel ationships among Rel igi ous Fundamental ism, Religious Confl ict, and Anxiety Scores at Hiwassee Co 11ege , Johnson Bible Col leqe , and The Uni versity of Tennessee, Knoxville . 150 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 155 fvlajor Hypotheses 162 Secondary Hypotheses 172 A Portrait of the Rel igiously Fundamentalist Co 11ege Student 178 VII. IMPLICAT IONS OF THE STUDY • 180 Implications for the Institutions Concerned 180 Impli cations for Further Research 182 Impli cations for Classroom Instruction .