Honors Program
Date of this Version
Spring 3-10-2019
Document Type
Thesis
Citation
Buhr, T. 2019. An Exception in Risk-Taking Behavior: Religiosity as a Situation-Specific Predictor of Sexual Risk-Taking. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Abstract
The relationship between religiosity and sexual risk-taking has been widely studied but conclusive consensus on the influence has not been established. Part of this stems from how religiosity is measured. The current study analyzes how religious fundamentalism, one way of measuring religiosity, and risk-taking propensity predict sexual risk-taking. We used a wide range of risk-taking propensity measures to better understand their role and the unique role of religious fundamentalism in this risk-taking area. The current study aims to assess whether religious fundamentalism has potential to be a situation-specific predictor of sexual risk-taking. To test this, 17 participants completed risk-taking propensity measures, a religious fundamentalism scale, and self-reported sexual risk-taking behaviors. We found that most risk-taking propensity measures did not correspond with one another and few predicted sexual risk-taking. Religion alone did not play a significant role in predicting sexual risk-taking but did demonstrate a contribution in a larger model including other predictors. There was limited support for religious fundamentalism as a situation-specific predictor. Because of a limited sample size and methodological issues, few conclusions could be drawn from the current study.
Comments
Copyright Trenton Buhr 2019.