Towards an implicit measure of religiousness-spirituality.

Abstract

This series of studies examined statistical associations between a newly-developed implicit measure of religiousness-spirituality, well-validated explicit measures and pro-social behavior. In Study 1, undergraduates (n = 109) at a private institution completed self-report measures of a broad spectrum of religiousness-spirituality and related constructs (i.e. religious fundamentalism, authoritarianism, empathy). Participants also completed an Implicit Association Test designed to assess religiousness-spirituality. Informants also rated the participants’ religiousness-spirituality. We found acceptable implicit-explicit correspondence providing convergent validity for the new measure. Study 2 tested the relationship between religiousness-spirituality and helping behavior in spontaneous and controlled opportunities. Undergraduates (n = 102) completed a similar battery to Study 1 and were also given the opportunity to help a student in need. Self-reported religiousness predicted helping when pressure was high. Future research directions and applications are discussed.