Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Julie Hicks Patrick.

Abstract

The associations of religiousness and spirituality in decision-making processes and outcomes were investigated. One hundred younger adults ( M age = 19.9, SD = 1.5) and seventy-eight older adults (M age = 71.1, SD = 7.9) completed self-administered surveys including vignettes varying in emotional salience. Responses were coded for problem-solving strategies and decisional outcomes. ANCOVA results indicate that the choice of strategies varies depending on the age and level of spirituality of the individual as well as the domain of the problem. Results from a multinomial logistic regression indicate that end-of-life decisions vary as a function of both age and religiousness [ X2(4, N = 163) = 9.34, p = .05 and chi2(4, N = 163) = 11.33, p < .05 respectively). However, the effects of religiousness and spirituality are not pervasive across the three decisional domains. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of linking problem-solving strategies and decision-making outcomes.

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