Type of Document	Master's Thesis
Author	Archer, Ashley L.
URN	etd-03262012-015020
Title	Reciprocity Between Individual Differences and the Social Environment: Evidence Linking Personality With Religion
Degree	Master of Arts
Department	Sociology
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Tony N. Brown Committee Chair George Becker Committee Member
Keywords	social psychology personality religion
Date of Defense	2012-09-01
Availability	restricted
Abstract Some literature suggests that personality is genetic and thus inherent to individual psychology; as such, prior research regarding the relationship between personality and religion examines only how personality affects religion. Employing a sociological framework where the individual and environment are endogenous, this manuscript investigates how the social environment, as indicated by religion, influences personality. Using nationally representative and longitudinal data from Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) I and II surveys, I find that personality is a statistically significant correlate of religion, but the association varies widely based on the dimension of religion measured and respondents’ age. Furthermore, analyses confirm that personality is unstable as respondents get older and that prior levels of religion predict changes in personality. I conclude by inviting sociologists and psychologists to adopt an interdisciplinary approach in future studies linking personality with religion.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access  Archer.pdf 1.38 Mb 00:06:24 00:03:17 00:02:53 00:01:26 00:00:07 indicates that a file or directory is accessible from the campus network only.