Poster Session Abstracts
1.) The Varieties of Religious Fundamentalism: Examining the Relationship between Different Measures
Russell E Phillips III, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg
Recently, new measures of religious fundamentalism have challenged Altemeyer & Hunsberger’s operational definition of the construct. The present study examined the relationship between the following measures across two college student samples: the Religious Fundamentalism Scale (RFS; Altemeyer & Hunsberger, 2004), the Intratextual Fundamentalism Scale (IFS; Williamson et al., 2010), the Multidimensional Fundamentalism Scale (MFS; Liht et al., 2011), the Right Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA; Rattazzi et al., 2007), the Christian Orthodoxy Scale (CO; Hunsberger, 1989), a measure of religious conservatism, a 10-point self-rating of religious fundamentalism, and a binary question “are you a religious fundamentalist.” RFS, IFS, and MFS Pearson correlations were so strong as to suggest they are the same scale. Self-ratings of fundamentalism and religious conservatism were moderately related to RFS, IFS, and MFS. Forward selection binary regression revealed single predictors of self-identifying as a religious fundamentalist across the two studies; RWA in Study 1 and the MFS subscale External versus Internal Authority in Study 2. Linear regression revealed that RFS appears to be made up of primarily RWA and CO, whereas IFS does not. In conclusion, participant identification of religious fundamentalism is different from researcher definitions of the construct. Researcher-derived measures appear strongly related, although the RFS is more strongly related to RWA and CO than the MFS and IFS. Implications and limitations of the study are reviewed.
2.) Rats, Dopamine, and Dukkha: Neuroscientific Insights into the Origin of Suffering
Erik Oleson, University of Colorado Denver
The therapeutic basis of mindfulness meditation is thought to be related to the Buddhist concept of dukkha. Dukkha describes the suffering that arises from our perpetual drive to maximize utility. To survive and thrive, brain circuits were likely selected to overvalue the pursuit of utility. The mesolimbic pathway may be particularly relevant because it is thought to encode subjective value and motivate the pursuit of desired outcomes. To investigate the relationship between dopamine and value during the pursuit of a desired outcome, we recently employed an integrative approach including behavioral economic theory, electrochemistry, rodent operant behavior, and optogenetics. Within an economic context, we found that dopamine concentration represents value and that the resulting dopamine value signals are more pronounced during the pursuit rather than the obtainment of a desired outcome. Using optogenetics technology, we also found that enhancing dopamine value signals during the pursuit of a desired outcome attenuated the dopamine value signal observed at its obtainment. Dukkha-related implications include: 1) the perceived value of a desired outcome is represented by dopamine value signals that are always lower at the obtainment rather than during the pursuit of a desired outcome, 2) the greater an animal overvalues or clings to a desired outcome, the greater the letdown will be upon its obtainment. It is possible that these dopamine value signals were naturally selected to drive pursuit above and beyond rational utility in early animal evolution. When left unchecked, this antiquated neuro-evolutionary overvaluation of pursuit may contribute to dukkha in modern society.
3.) The Relationships Between Psychological Sense of Community, Religious/Spiritual Practices, Quality of Life, and Emotional Well-Being
Christopher Dabbs, Carrie Winterowd, Barrett Williams, Audrey Scaer, Chisom Anunobi, Alicia Abbott, and Blake Savage, Oklahoma State University
Multicultural orientation and diversity have been growing in recognition and valued by practitioners, not only in their training and education, but also in their research efforts and their work with clients (Vera & Speight, 2003; Heesacker, 2018). However, spiritual/religious orientation is a domain of multicultural orientation that has traditionally been underrepresented in the training and education of practitioners who ultimately serve a variety of clients in a multitude of settings (Oxhandler & Pargament, 2018). The spiritual component of holistic multicultural orientation is so infrequently addressed, it is often considered an “afterthought” (Dopman, 2014). However, spiritual/religious orientation (e.g., sense of purpose or meaning, beliefs, practices) can be an important aspect of identity, impacting sense of self in relation to the world and general ability to cope with a myriad of issues. To ignore the spiritual/religious dimension of multicultural/diversity orientation could be potentially detrimental to clients’ well-being. There is growing evidence of the protective factors of spiritual/religious orientation, beliefs, and practices in people’s lives. Research findings have provided evidence for the protective nature of spirituality/religion in contexts such as recovering from childhood trauma and neglect (Howell & Miller-Graff, 2014), decreasing mood disorder risk in high-risk individuals (Kasen, Wickramaratne, Gameroff, & Weissman, 2012), and protecting against chronic health issues such as substance abuse and obesity (Dodor et al., 2018). Of particular interest, spirituality/religious beliefs and practices can be significantly influenced by the intersectionality of identities within the individual (e.g., gender/gender identity, race/ethnicity, age, sexual/affectional orientation, social status, political affiliation; Holman & Prodazik, 2018).
Lubin Deng, Eastern Colorado Health Care System, and Katherine Doyon, Paula Langner, and David B. Bekelman, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, and Department of Veterans Affairs
Context: Spiritual well-being is associated with physical and psychological symptoms. Studies show that spiritual well-being in heart failure patients is unique compared to patients with other serious illnesses due to heart failure’s illness trajectory. Yet there is a lack of quantitative studies of changes in spiritual well-being over time in heart failure patients, and the determinants of change are largely unknown. Objectives: The goal of this project was to investigate determinants of change in spiritual well-being in heart failure patients. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using data collected from the CASA (Collaborative Care to Alleviate Symptoms and Adjust to Illness) trial. Spiritual well-being was measured using the 12-item Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp, subscales include meaning/peace and faith) at baseline and 12 months later. Linear regression analysis (n=165), adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, was used to understand how changes in physical and psychological symptoms were associated with changes in spiritual well-being. Results: Sixty-five patients (39%) experienced probable clinically meaningful changes (>0.5 SD) in spiritual well-being (35 improved, 30 declined). We found that over 12 months, increased pain (p=0.037), decreased dyspnea (p<0.001), and increased life completion (p=0.023) were associated with improvement in spiritual well-being. Furthermore, only decreased dyspnea was related to improved meaning/peace, while increased pain and increased life completion were associated with increased faith. Conclusion: In a cohort of ill patients with heart failure, changes in specific physical and psychological symptoms were associated with changes in spiritual well-being and had different effects on meaning/peace vs. faith.
5.) Interdisciplinarity as Rooted in the Tree of Life
Mary P Ozanic, University of Colorado-Denver
Since antiquity, images of trees have been used to symbolize cultural elements and sacred stories including spiritual, religious, philosophical, social and scientific traditions. The use of trees steeped in symbolism to represent the sacred have been found in the folklore and cultural artifacts of religions dating back to Ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and Middle Eastern regions of the world (Giovino 2007) . Using a series of individual paint chip swatches, my original artwork depicts personal interpretation of one of the historical meanings of the Tree of Life. Collectively, the detailed arrangement of the chips are meant to capture the depth and breadth of both the diverse experiences we encounter during the course of our lifetime, and the range of emotions, feelings and sensations that surround these encounters. Titled Tree of Life, my depiction represents what is referred to across multiple disciplines as The Human Condition, generally defined as "the characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality" (Russell 2004). Contained in its essence are existential questions such as what is the meaning of life, what is morality, does God exist, and if so, why is there suffering and injustice. Philosophers, theologians, educators, mathematicians, writers, artists and scientists have grappled with these conundrums in fields including religion, literature, philosophy, history, art, anthropology, psychology, sociology, political science and biology. Therein lies our connection to the field of studies known as Interdisciplinarity.
Gabrielle Price and Kate Jansen, Midwestern University – Glendale
Greater sanctification (having divine character and significance) of sex has predicted greater sexual frequency and sexual satisfaction for married couples (Hernandez-Kane & Mahoney, 2018). Religious integration in daily life shared a weak but positive association with pleasure from sex (McFarland, Uecker, & Regnerus, 2011), additionally, couples with high scores on spiritual well-being have higher marital satisfaction and greater sexual relationships (Giblin, 1997). The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between individuals’ rates of spirituality and individuals’ rates of sexual satisfaction in married individuals. Specifically, this study aimed to determine if there is a positive association between spirituality and sexual satisfaction. The participants (n=27) were married individuals recruited through Reddit groups related to marriage. The mean age was 38.7 years and the average length of marriage was 11.4 years. These individuals identified primarily as Caucasian (84%). The participants completed measures related to spirituality, religiosity, sexual sanctification, and sexual satisfaction. The results revealed a positive correlation between sexual sanctification, spirituality, religiosity, and sexual satisfaction. The study builds on previous literature on the relationship between spirituality and sexual satisfaction in married couples. Though directionality cannot be determined, psychologists may consider that spirituality and religiosity impacts sexual satisfaction in married couples. The current study was limited by low response rate; however, significant results were obtained despite low sample size. Future research may also address sexual self-disclosure and partner expectations to provide a more detailed picture of relationship well-being. Future research may also expand on the diversity of individuals in the sample.
7.) The Effect of Spirituality and Religiosity on Self-Medicating for Chronic Migraine
Sarah Martin and Danna Cooperberg, University of Colorado Denver, Amrita Bhowmick, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Amy Wachholtz, University of Colorado Denver
Introduction: Research suggests self-medicating with illicit substances for chronic pain increases risks for multiple negative health outcomes. Therefore, clinicians must help patients develop healthy, effective strategies to manage pain symptoms. Though commonly used for coping, spirituality and religiosity (S/R) have been shown to associate with poorer medical adherence. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of S/R on the use of self-medication for chronic migraine. Method: As a part of a larger study, 4502 participants with chronic migraine completed self-report questionnaires related to health and treatment experiences. Results: Chi-square tests revealed people who had used spiritual and religious coping strategies were most likely to self-medicate with illicit substances for chronic migraine (X2 (4502) = 19.228, p<.001). Among those who currently use spiritual and religious coping strategies, rare spiritual and religious practice associated with significantly more self-medication than frequent practice (X2 (4502) = 16.758, p<.01). Discussion: The results suggest people who use S/R to cope with chronic migraine are more likely to self-medicate with illicit substances. However, this risk may be greatest in those who rely on spiritual and religious resources to cope, but do not master these coping strategies due to infrequent spiritual and religious practice. Clinicians may be able to help patients with chronic migraine who identify as religious or spiritual through encouraging the exploration and practice of relative coping strategies. This practice will allow patients to enhance effectiveness of spiritual and religious coping skills, reducing self-medication use and leading to improved patient outcomes.
Sean Danieli, Elizabethtown College
Historically, some groups have described God and other divine concepts as having a watchful or monitoring nature – a sort of supernatural accountability. I sought to determine if thinking of God and divine concepts would have an impact on our ability to do work well, and whether affirmation of our personal values might have a role to play in mediating our reactions to what may be perceived as a ‘divine supervisor.’ Thoughts about God or divinity might impact one’s attentional ability and one’s self affirming thoughts might buffer or exacerbate any latent effect; to measure attention and self-control, I used a Visual Search Task. During this task, participants formerly exposed to the God Prime had significantly longer reaction times in determining the presence or absence of a target stimulus when it was not in their visual field than those who were not primed. In addition, they took significantly longer to make incorrect responses when the target stimulus was present (false negatives) and were more accurate in properly determining the absence of a stimulus than those not. Being Self-Affirmed did not appear to have a significant role to play in determining the effectiveness of the God Priming Task as an influence over reaction time or accuracy. However, reminders of God or our religious experiences may have distinct impacts on our cultural & independent social development – as a direct consequence of its apparent effect on basic attentional ability, self-regulation and more generally, how we engage with tasks where performance is key.
9.) Religiosity Mediates Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a Sample of Somali Refugees
Stephanie Quan, Jamie Layton, Mattie O'Boyle, LeAnne Zaire, and Jacob Bently, Seattle Pacific University
Somali refugees have been found to experience more exposure to traumatic events than other refugees and asylum seekers from other countries such as Iran and Afghanistan (Gerritsen et al, 2006). Culturally, religious beliefs are key to Somali perceptions of mental health and wellbeing, with positive religious coping being associated with lower posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms severity while negative religious coping is associated with greater PTSD symptom severity (Abu-Raiya & Pargament, 2011; Aflakseir & Coleman, 2009; Leaman & Gee, 2011; Mulatu, 1999). However, few studies have investigated interrelationships among aspects of religiosity and specific PTSD symptom clusters endorsed by Somali refugees. The purpose of the present study was to examine organizational religious activity (ORA), non-organizational religious activity (NORA), and intrinsic religiosity as potential mediators of the relationship between trauma exposure and PTSD symptom clusters among a sample of Somali refugees in the United States. An a priori power analysis (G*Power software, version 3.0.3; Faul, Erdfelder, Lang & Buchner, 2007) determined that a sample size of 55 would be adequate to test our hypotheses. Data from 59 participants has been collected and will be used in the final analysis. With regard to measures, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-Revised (HTQ-R) (Mollica, McDonald, Massagli, & Silove, 2004) assessed exposure to traumatic life events and PTSD symptoms. Participants also completed the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL; Koenig, Meador, & Parkerson, 1997), which contains ORA, NORA, and intrinsic religiosity subscales. The findings from this study will provide insight into the development of culturally-responsive PTSD treatment approaches.
10.) Predicting the Quality of Social Relationships: Migraine Frequency and the Use of Spiritual/ Religious Resources
Dallas Robinson, Dustin Goerlitz, and Ben Kedl, University of Colorado Denver, Amrita Bhowmick, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and Amy Wachholtz, University of Colorado Denver
Introduction: Migraines are often associated with poorer quality of life, including the domain of social functioning. Migraine intensity can be ameliorated with spiritual and religious resources (S/R) such as prayer (Tajadini, 2017), and reduced use of S/R coping strategies are associated with greater impact on functioning at work, school, or social situations (Russo, 2019). This study sought to determine if the use of S/R is a protective factor, moderating the effect migraine frequency has on social relationships. Method: A national study examined migraine frequency, social relationships, and the use of coping resources in 4,502 adult migraine sufferers (Mage=45.72, 95.5% female, 91.2% Caucasian) diagnosed by a physician in the 2015 Migraine.com survey. A stepwise linear regression assessed the predictive strength of migraine frequency and the use of S/R on quality of social relationships. Results: The first model using migraine frequency (Beta=0.420) to predict quality of social relationships was significant (F1,4500=962.66,p<0.001,R2=0.18). A second model was run including the use of S/R (Beta=0.080) as a predictor, and this model was significantly different from the first model (F2,4499=501.65,p<0.001; R2change=0.006,p<0.001), accounting for a greater proportion of the variance in quality of social relationships. Discussion: Migraine frequency was a significant predictor of quality of social relationships, with those experiencing more migraines having poorer social relationships. The addition of S/R resulted in statistically significant improvement in the model. However, it accounted for little of the variance in social relationships, indicating the use of S/R may not be clinically significant as a protective factor.
11.) A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Spirituality and Depression among LGB Individuals
Veronica Kim, Simon Choi, Clayton McClintock, Elsa Lau, and Lisa J. Miller, Columbia University
Spirituality has been shown to protect against depression across the lifespan in ethnically and religiously diverse populations (Boyatzis, 2008; Comas-Diaz, 2008; Cervantes & Parham, 2005). However, there remains a dearth of research on spirituality and depression among the lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) population. Here we examine the relationship between spirituality and depression among LGB individuals in a religiously and culturally diverse global sample drawn from India, China, and the United States. A sample of 5,512 participants completed an online questionnaire, which included demographics, report of sexual orientation, religious and cultural measures, well-validated scales on spirituality, namely the Delaney Spirituality Scale (Delaney, 2005), and the depression scale, namely the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; Kroenke et al., 2001). Overall, spirituality was inversely associated with depression while controlling for sexual orientation. Specifically, in the bisexual group, there was a relatively smaller inverse association between spirituality and depression, despite overall higher rates of spirituality compared to the straight group. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first to explore the protective benefits of spirituality against depression among LGB individuals in a large and diverse global sample. Our findings suggest that in the LGB populations, culture may interact with the protective benefits of spirituality against depression. Further research is needed to understand the impact of culture and sexual orientation around spiritual development and its effects on mental health.
12.) A Qualitative Exploration of Repentance Processes in Religious Latter-day Saint Emerging Adults
Justin J. Hendricks, Jenae M. Nelson, and Sam A. Hardy, Brigham Young University
We qualitatively explored repentance processes in religious emerging adults in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The process of repentance includes experiencing true remorse, reconciling, and restructuring one’s life (Etzioni & Carney, 1997), and is a religious process of change and forgiveness. Previous studies have found the following correlations and outcomes of repentance: increased interpersonal forgiveness (Watanabe & Laurent, 2019); reduced anxiety, enhanced serenity, and improved well-being (Uyun et. al., 2019); decreased regret and self-condemnation (Witvliet et. al., 2011); and increased self-forgiveness (Fisher & Exline, 2006). Our research questions included: Why does repentance correlate with these constructs? What other processes or outcomes of repentance should be explored? Why do Latter-day Saint emerging adults repent? Participants (N = 15) were recruited from highly religious LDS emerging adults (N = 532), and were interviewed about a variety of religious experiences. Interviews were analyzed using team-based coding strategies (Marks, 2015). Open coding revealed repentance as a core theme of these experiences, and was discussed in all 15 interviews. Thus, this core theme was more deeply analyzed. Preliminary coding and analysis indicate that first, repentance processes influenced the following: (1) feelings of divine forgiveness, (2) emotions of peace, love, and gratitude, (3) and developed participant’s relationship with God. Second, motivations and antecedents of repentance included the following: (1) participation in religious practices (e.g., studying scriptural texts), (2) development of religious knowledge or beliefs, and (3) becoming better as a core motivation to be religious.
13.) Exploring the Motivations, Outcomes, and Relational Implications of Repentance in Religious Families
Justin J. Hendricks, Joe M. Chelladurai, Loren D. Marks, and David C. Dollahite, Brigham Young University
Repentance is a fundamental religious practice for individuals across the world, and is a recurring religious process of seeking forgiveness and personal change. In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), repentance is comprised of three main components: experiencing true remorse, reconciling with God and others, and restructuring one’s life. Despite its prevalence, repentance is a relatively understudied phenomenon in the psychology of religion and spirituality. In this study, we qualitatively explored repentance processes in highly religious Christian, Jewish, and Muslim families. Specific research questions included: (1) what are the antecedents or motivations of repentance? (2) what are reported outcomes of repentance, and (3) what are the relational implications and processes around repentance? Preliminary coding and analysis of the study indicate that (a) studying religious texts, praying, and attending church helped individuals recognize the need to repent (b) reported outcomes of repentance included divine and interpersonal forgiveness, increased ability to make personal changes, increased feelings of healing and hope, and reduced feelings of guilt (c) relational implications and processes included reduced familial conflict, the family acted as a motivation to repent, family conflict helped participants recognize the need to repent, and parent-child discussions about repentance (d) important beliefs around repentance included a benevolent view of God, as well as an acceptance that everyone had a need to repent and no one was perfect. An increased understanding of the repentance process may help therapists and counselors understand the religious processes at work in the lives of their religious clients.
14.) Family Life Virtues: Exploration of Relational-Religious Processes for Relational Flourishing
Joe M. Chelladurai, David C. Dollahite, and Loren D. Marks, Brigham Young University
In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the study of psychology of religion and spirituality. Furthermore, research on religion and spirituality is increasingly studied along with positive psychology processes. As a result, scholarship on religion and spirituality has focused on connections between character strengths and virtues. Although providing important insights into research on happiness and wellbeing, most of these studies have been focused at the individual level. As religion intersects both private and public life, investigating interpersonal aspects of religion appropriately acknowledges the relational nature of religious involvement. Research on close relationships, particularly at the family level, may better help understand important religious processes for relationship flourishing. Adapting character strengths and virtues for religious family life, we propose a definition of family life virtues and examine a set of twelve virtues namely, love, faith, togetherness, humility, hope, perspective, patience, gratitude, forgiveness, integrity, self-regulation, and joy. In the proposed study, we aim to qualitatively explore how these family life virtues influence religious families. Using a religiously, ethnically, and geographically, diverse sample of 198 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim families (N = 478 individuals), we conduct a thematic analysis of audio-recorded and transcribed interview data. We will then present major findings with illustrative participant quotes. Finally, from a religiosity and strengths perspective, we discuss ways that religion may aid in relationship flourishing by encouraging the pursuit of family life virtues.
15.) The Contemporary Structure of Psychology of Religion
Reilly Stanton and Kevin Lanning, Florida Atlantic University
Psychology of religion is among the oldest subfields of psychological science, but what has become of this field today? To uncover the contemporary state of scholarship in the psychology of religion, this project uses bibliometric networks, community structure analysis, and natural language processing to analyze articles pulled from Web of Science containing “psychology” and “religion” in any field. The search query returned 5,878 articles, which were reduced to 5,757 after cleaning. Statistical analysis of production-over-time showed a resurgence of scholarship within the last few years demonstrating a promising future for this area of study. Network analysis reveals 16 communities with a subsequent linguistic analysis revealing that the top three are focused on cognition (prejudice, priming, synchrony), mental health (post-traumatic growth, coping, struggles), and motivation (extrinsic, quest, prejudice). Further analysis using a thematic evolution map on keywords reveals a consistent focus on health in contemporary scholarship on the psychology of religion.
16.) Does Intrinsic Religiosity Predict State Anxiety and Anger During a Laboratory Stress Study?
Allie J. Alayan, Colorado State University, and Kevin S. Masters and Megan E. McGugan, University of Colorado Denver
Introduction: Intrinsic religiosity (IR) predicts positive psychological constructs and may buffer stress reactivity. However, there are limited data on the association between IR and state affect in stress inducing situations. This study explored the potential role of IR as a negative predictor of anxiety and anger in a laboratory stress study. Methods: Participants (N =169) were married heterosexual couples who identified as Christian (74.5% White, Mage=32.38 years). They completed an on-line questionnaire and participated in a laboratory session that included a disagreement discussion with their spouse. IR was measured using the intrinsic subscale of the Intrinsic/Extrinsic-Revised Scale. Negative state affect was measured using 12-items from the anger and anxiety subscales of the State-Trait Personality Inventory. Measures occurred at four points: baseline (T1), after experimental intervention (T2), following a couples’ disagreement task (T3), and following recovery (T4). Results: Controlling for age, race, and gender, linear regressions utilized IR as a predictor of negative state affect during the laboratory session. IR significantly predicted state anxiety at T1 (ß = -.21, p<.05), T2 ß = -.28, p<.01), T3 (ß = -.22, p<.01), and T4 (ß = -.22, p<.01), and significantly predicted state anger at T2 (ß = -.27, p<.01), T3 (ß = -.28, p<.01), and T4 (ß = -.24, p<.01). Discussion: IR is a negative predictor of state anxiety and anger during a laboratory session that included a stressful disagreement with one’s spouse. IR may play an important role in differentiating levels of state anxiety and anger among Christians in stressful situations.
17.) A Psychometric Analysis of the Checklist Version of the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale
Kaitlyn M. Vagnini and Kevin S. Masters, University of Colorado – Denver
The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) is a widely-used measure that assesses ordinary experiences of connection with the transcendent in daily life. However, there are no published studies, to our knowledge, that provide a psychometric analysis of the checklist version of the DSES. This version is well-suited for use in intensive longitudinal designs, such as those using experience sampling methodologies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the checklist version of the DSES in two independent samples. Study 1 included a nationwide sample of adults (N=342) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and Study 2 included a sample of undergraduate students (N=120) from the University of Colorado Denver. The aim of Study 1 was to explore the factor structure, assess internal consistency, and evaluate the criterion-related validity of the DSES. The aim of Study 2 was to confirm the factor structure, reassess internal consistency, and expand analysis of the criterion-related validity of the DSES. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a one-factor structure of the DSES, with lower factor loadings for the compassionate love items. A single factor solution was confirmed in Study 2. Internal consistency of the scale was high in both samples (a=.96-.97). Most measures significantly correlated with the DSES as predicted, though the DSES was significantly correlated with socially desirable responding in Study 2 (r=.33, p<.001). Further psychometric evaluation of the checklist version of the DSES is warranted, particularly to evaluate its concurrent validity and to assess its association with social desirability in other samples.
18.) Patterns of Physiological Adaptation to Repeated Social Stress and Their Association with Religiousness and Spirituality
Kevin Jordan, Ari Feinstein, Cara Luchtefeld, and Joseph Twitdy, Indiana State University
Religiousness and spirituality predict important health outcomes such as longevity, heart disease, and emotional well-being. The processes explaining these effects may include indirect pathways such as health behaviors and direct pathways involving physiological mechanisms. Our recent work has used social self-preservation theory and the interpersonal theory of personality, social, and clinical psychology to examine the association of various aspects of religiousness and spirituality with social functioning and cardiovascular reactivity (Jordan, Masters, Hooker, Ruiz, & Smith, 2014; Smith & Jordan, 2015). While we predicted that adaptive aspects of religiousness and spirituality would be associated with smaller stress responses to social evaluation, our results did not confirm this hypothesis. The present study reexamines this possibility by using a modified experimental paradigm in which participants are re-exposed to the same experimental stressor. Recent studies have shown that individual difference variables may not predict reactivity upon first exposure to a stressor, but these variables do predict reactivity upon second exposure to the stressor (Lu & Wang, 2017). In other words, cardiovascular response habituation may occur for certain experimental stressors, and this habituation may be moderated by individual differences. Using a 2 x 2 design (i.e., high vs. low Agency Threat; high vs. low Communion Threat), we examined the association of various aspects of religiousness and spirituality with cardiovascular response habituation to social-evaluative threats involving agency and communion. Results are discussed in terms of social evaluative threat, cardiovascular response habituation, and how this habituation may be subject to important individual differences in religiousness and spirituality.
19.) An Examination of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) and its Relationship to Mindfulness and Spirituality
Jeremiah Boatright, Sul Ross State University
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a sensory phenomenon which has drawn heavy attention online for its soothing effects on those capable of experiencing it. Correlations between Mindfulness and ASMR have also been investigated (Fredborg, Clark, & Smith, 2018). Higher Mindfulness has also been correlated with higher spirituality (Lazaridou & Pentaris, n.d.). This study is intended to investigate the ability of natural sounds (those found in nature) to stimulate the ASMR phenomenon. It also aims to supply more data as to the prevalence of ASMR in the general population and on correlations between Mindfulness, ASMR, and Spirituality. The subjects (n = 20) for this mixed methods study were drawn from a rural college town in west Texas. The study employs the use of a PowerPoint featuring recordings of rain sounds. The author intends to determine their ability to trigger ASMR in listeners. While other instruments are used to measure Mindfulness and ASMR characteristics, participants additionally fill out the Spiritual Wellness Inventory developed by Elliott Ingersoll (1995). The primary hypothesis is that natural sounds can trigger ASMR. The study also predicts correlations between ASMR susceptibility and high spirituality due to the known correlations between ASMR susceptibility and Mindfulness and Mindfulness and Spirituality. The study is limited by the small, rural population participants come from and may only apply to similar populations.
20.) German Immigrants Integration: The Role of Religion and Civic Engagement
Andrew S. Franklin, Norfolk State University
This research project seeks to explore the role of religion in immigrants' lives and how it influences their integration in Germany. Specifically, this research explores the role of religion in shaping civic, and political outcomes in Germany. The following research questions: 1) What role does religion play in your life? 2) How does religion influence your civic engagement or participation in local organizations in Germany? 3)How does your religion shape your political activities in Germany? Overall this research intends to address how religion influences immigrants' understanding of their relationship to their respective host-nation, Germany. This research is significant because there is a persistent, educational inequality among immigrants and their attainment of high school/college degrees in Germany. Moreover, since Germany has taken in a record number of Syrian as well as other refugees, Germany is now among the major immigrant nations in the world. Since religious pluralism and immigration is now (much more than before) part of the social reality of Germany and for many parts of the world, this study will help clarify how and to what extent they integrate into their host nation, and the role that religion may play toward that end. Since Germany is arguably the most secular country in the world, this study is of interest, since immigrants tend to bring their religiosity with them as they settle into their host-nation and become civically engaged.
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21.) The Relationship Between Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Optimism
Chanze Nembhard, Long Island University – Brooklyn
Life satisfaction is an increasingly complex construct to measure and denote. Stemming from the 18th century, when the purpose of existence was the topic of thought, the pursuit of satisfaction progressed and the term “quality of life” was introduced, meaning the presence of conditions deemed necessary for a good life and the practice of good living as such. Life satisfaction is one of the many indicators of quality of life, depending on various factors such as mental and physical health to indicate how fulfilled one would be. This thesis will look at the determinants of life satisfaction, which are only weakly understood. Individual behavior, sensory experiences, and higher cognition paired with the person’s characteristics and the environment can all pose an influence on life satisfaction. Though there is some research about the indicators of life satisfaction, including forgiveness, gratitude, and optimism, there is not sufficient data to generalize that notion to any or all other cultures. This study will shed some light on the elements that influence life satisfaction to give the public more information regarding the psychological constructs.
22.) The Implementation of a Mindfulness-Oriented Retreat Intervention for Rural Women Veterans
Nichole A. Murray-Swank, Barbara M. Dausch, and Aaron B. Murray-Swank, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
Despite significant advances in the study of mindfulness-based interventions, research on the accessibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of varied implementation platforms are lacking, particularly among rural populations. In this study, we examined the preliminary effectiveness of a retreat-based, mindfulness-oriented intervention for rural, women veterans. Sixty-six women veterans from rural locales participated in three-day retreats and completed measures of psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, satisfaction with health, and mindfulness before the intervention (Time 1), after the retreats (Time 2), at 1-month (Time 3), and 3 months post intervention (Time 4). Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed statistically significant decreases in global psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and somatization, and significant increases in four facets mindfulness (i.e., observing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity) and health satisfaction at Time 2. The participants showed sustained increases in acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity, and health satisfaction, at both follow-ups. At Times 3 and 4, participants displayed sustained decreases in PTSD symptoms and depression (ds = .21-.44). Significant interactions demonstrated that those with probable PTSD exhibited the largest changes in symptoms, and sustained changes in PTSD (d = .59) and depression (d = .81) at Time 4. Qualitative results revealed the salience of: group factors including universality and support; clinician conditions of warmth, availability, and genuineness; retreat-specific elements such as time away and condensed therapeutic care; and programmatic components including mindfulness and yoga as avenues to promote a sense of inner peace. Retreat-based, mindfulness-oriented programs show promise as an effective alternative for underserved, rural women veterans.