Off-campus UNL users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your NU ID and password. When you are done browsing please remember to return to this page and log out.
Non-UNL users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
An investigation of the relationships among personality traits, locus of control, religious orientation, and life satisfaction: A path analytical study
Abstract
This dissertation is a multiple regression analyses and path analytical study of the role of religious orientation as a mediator variable between the variables personality traits, locus of control, and life satisfaction. Specifically, this study examined the potential pathways between the predictor variables, the intervening variables, and the dependent variable, life satisfaction. It was hypothesized that religious orientation would be an intervening variable, and would be demonstrated to mediate the relationships between the predictor variables—personality traits and locus of control—and the dependent variable, life satisfaction. In addition, correlational relationships, within and between all the variables in the study, were computed and discussed. The participants were 125 adult Christians recruited from most mainline denominations in Nebraska. Participants completed questionnaires comprising several scales measuring personality traits, locus of control, religious orientation, intensity of belief, support system, and life satisfaction. The results confirmed, clarified and extended the findings that personality traits predict life satisfaction. The personality traits extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness all correlated positively with one another, and predicted life satisfaction. Locus of control-external correlated with low levels of life satisfaction, and locus of control-internal correlated with higher levels of life satisfaction. Intrinsic religious orientation was demonstrated to be a strong predictor of life satisfaction. The extrinsic and quest religious orientations did not correlate with life satisfaction. A major finding in this research was that none of the hypothesized pathways resulted in a significant mediation effect of the intervening variable on the independent and dependent variables. Religious orientation did not serve as a mediator between personality traits and life satisfaction, or as a mediator between locus of control and life satisfaction.
Subject Area
Personality psychology|Social psychology|Religion
Recommended Citation
Wigert, Lee R, "An investigation of the relationships among personality traits, locus of control, religious orientation, and life satisfaction: A path analytical study" (2001). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3028663.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3028663