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ETD Abstract Container

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Why is it more distressing to have unwanted thoughts of aggression when you are religious?

Rose, Eric D.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1275666778

Abstract Details

2010, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Psychology.
Individuals are sometimes visited by intrusive thoughts of committing aggressive or violent acts. These thoughts of aggression are easy for some people to ignore, whereas other people find such thoughts highly distressing. In the current study it was predicted that greater levels of religious behavior and / or belief would predict greater distress among participants visited by an aggressive intrusion. This hypothesis was tested using an online questionnaire with an undergraduate research sample (N = 257). Results showed that religious behavior, but not religious belief, was a modest positive predictor of distress. The relationship between religious behavior and distress was significant only for women and not for men. Mediation analyses determined that the positive relationship between religious behavior and distress was significantly explained by two factors. First, greater religious behavior positively predicted a metacognitive style (i.e. a way of thinking about one’s thoughts) that tends to overvalue thoughts and intrusions, and this style in turn positively predicted distress. Second, greater religious behavior positively predicted the belief that an unwanted thought of aggression represented a challenge to positive ideas about the self, and this belief in turn positively predicted distress. There was no evidence that the relationship between religious behavior and distress was linked with the belief that an unwanted thought of aggression confirmed a feared aspect of self.
Julie Exline, PhD (Committee Chair)
Joseph Fagan, PhD (Committee Member)
Heath Demaree, PhD (Committee Member)
Peter Haas, PhD (Committee Member)
82 p.
Psychology
Religiousness; Religious; Intrusive Thoughts; Aggression; Metacognition; Values

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Rose, E. D. (2010). Why is it more distressing to have unwanted thoughts of aggression when you are religious? [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1275666778

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Rose, Eric. Why is it more distressing to have unwanted thoughts of aggression when you are religious? 2010. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1275666778.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Rose, Eric. "Why is it more distressing to have unwanted thoughts of aggression when you are religious?" Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1275666778

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1275666778
481
© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.