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Prayer, personality and happiness: a study among undergraduate students in Wales

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Robbins, Mandy, Francis, Leslie J. and Edwards, Bethan. (2008) Prayer, personality and happiness: a study among undergraduate students in Wales. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, Vol.11 (No.1). pp. 93-99. ISSN 1367-4676

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13674670701702548

Abstract

In order to examine the association between prayer and happiness, a sample of 131 undergraduate students attending a university in Wales completed three measures: the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, the abbreviated Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised, and prayer frequency assessed on a 5-point scale. The data demonstrated a significant positive correlation between prayer frequency and happiness before controlling for individual differences in personality. After controlling for personality, however, this apparent association vanished.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute of Education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): College students -- Religious life -- Wales, College students -- Psychology, Happiness -- Religious aspects, Maudsley personality inventory
Journal or Publication Title: Mental Health, Religion & Culture
Publisher: Routledge
ISSN: 1367-4676
Date: January 2008
Volume: Vol.11
Number: No.1
Page Range: pp. 93-99
Identification Number: 10.1080/13674670701702548
Status: Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version: Open Access
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J., Lewis, J. M., Brown, L. B., Philipchalk, R., & Lester, D. (1995). Personality and religion among undergraduate students in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Canada. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 14, 250-262. Francis, L. J., Lewis, J. M., Philipchalk, R., Brown, L. B., & Lester, D. (1995). The internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity (adult) among undergraduate students in the UK, USA, Australia and Canada. Personality and Individual Differences, 19, 949-953. Francis, L. J., & Robbins, M. (2000). Religion and happiness: A study in empirical theology. Transpersonal Psychology Review, 4(2), 17-22. Francis, L. J., & Robbins, M. (2006). Prayer, purpose in life, personality and social attitudes among non-churchgoing 13- to 15-year-olds in England and Wales. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 17, 123-155. Francis, L. J., Robbins, M., & White, A. (2003). Correlation between religion and happiness: A replication, Psychological Reports, 92, 51-52. French, S., & Joseph, S. (1999). Religiosity and its association with happiness, purpose in life, and self-actualisation. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 2, 117-120. Harris, W. S., Gowda, M., Kolb, J. W., Strychacz, C. P., Vacek, J. L., Jones, P. G., Forker, A., O’Keefe, J. H., & McCallister, B. D. (1999). A randomised, controlled trial of the effects of remote, intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients admitted to the coronary care unit. Archives of Internal Medicine, 159, 2273-2278. Hills, P., & Argyle, M. (2002). The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire: A compact scale for the measurement of psychological well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 33, 1073-1082. Joseph, S., & Lewis, C. A. (1998). The depression-happiness scale: Reliability and validity of a bipolar self-report scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54, 537-544. Lewis, C. A. (1998). 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Religious orientation, religious coping and happiness among UK adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 1193-1202. Montgomery, A., & Francis, L. J. (1996). Relationship between personal prayer and school-related attitudes among 11-16 year old girls. Psychological Reports, 78, 787-793. Robbins, M., Babington, P., & Francis, L. J. (2003). Personal prayer and school-related attitudes among 8- to 11-year-olds. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 24, 245–248. Robbins, M., & Francis, L. J. (1996). Are religious people happier? A study among undergraduates. In L. J. Francis, W. K. Kay, & W. S. Campbell (Eds), Research in religious education (pp. 207-217). Leominster: Gracewing.
URI: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/2862

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