The need for meaning and religiosity: An individual differences approach to assessing existential needs and the relation with religious commitment, beliefs, and experiences

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 123; pp. 6 - 13
• Main Authors: Abeyta, Andrew A., Routledge, Clay
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2018; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Belief & doubt; Belonging; Commitments; Individual differences; Meaning; Meaning in life; Mental health; Need for meaning; Personality traits; Psychological well being; Religion; Religiosity; Religious beliefs; Religious commitment; Religious experiences; Spirituality; Religion; Meaning in life; Need for meaning; Individual differences
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.10.038

Meaning in life is a component of psychological health. Religion is a robust source of meaning; religiosity is positively associated with meaning and threats to meaning increase religiosity. In the present research, we extend past work by examining how individual differences in the need for meaning relate to religious beliefs and experiences. That is, we proposed that people may vary in the extent to which they desire or need to see their lives as meaningful and that these differences should be predictive of religiosity. To test this, we developed a 10-item Need for Meaning scale and across 2 studies (N=881) explored relations with religious commitment (Studies 1 and 2), religious beliefs (Study 2) and religious experiences (Study 2). Need for meaning was associated with religiosity above and beyond related meaning measures, as well as the need for social belonging, and established cognitive correlates of religion. •The need for meaning scale is novel individual difference measure.•Need for meaning is associated with religious commitment, belief, and experience.•Need for meaning is associated with religion independent of meaning constructs.•Need for meaning is associated with religion independent of the need to belong.•Need for meaning is linked to religion independent of mentalizing and intuition.