Religious orientation and child abuse potential : underlying cognitive processes of religiosity

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Title Religious orientation and child abuse potential : underlying cognitive processes of religiosity
Publication Type thesis
School or College College of Education
Department Educational Psychology
Author Henderson, Ryan C
Date 2008-05
Description Despite religion being implicated in perpetuating child abuse, little research exists exploring this relationship. Conflicting findings in this literature may be accounted for by cognitive factors or differences in religious orientation. The following study investigated the relationship among religious orientation, social conformity, and child abuse potential. Individuals with an extrinsic orientation were predicted to display increased physical child abuse potential, mediated by social conformity. Two hundred and thirteen participants were solicited from various Christian churches in the Salt Lake City area and were assessed on their religious orientation (religion as an end/intrinsic and religion as a means/extrinsic), social conformity, and child abuse potential. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze results supporting that the relationship between religion as an end, or intrinsic religiousness, to child abuse potential was fully mediated via social conformity, whereas, religion as a means, or extrinsic religiousness, independently related to child abuse potential. This indicates that those who pursue religion for more external or superficial reasons, rather than for more internalized reasons, appear to be more at risk for perpetuating physical child abuse. Results also indicated that those who endorse a literal interpretation of the Bible compared to those who do not are more likely to have a higher child abuse potential.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Child abuse; Religious aspects; Parenting
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name MS
Language eng
Relation is Version of Digital reproduction of "Religious orientation and child abuse potential : underlying cognitive processes of religiosity " J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections, HV15.5 2008 .H45
Rights Management © Ryan C. Henderson, To comply with copyright, the file for this work may be restricted to The University of Utah campus libraries pending author permission.
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 107, 694 bytes
Identifier us-etd2,32517
Source Original: University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections
ARK ark:/87278/s64f2593
Setname ir_etd
ID 193298
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s64f2593
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