The proposed effect of religiosity and spirituality on levels of self-efficacy: An exploratory study

Research into trauma, adversity, and psychological disorders has shown that religion/spirituality are significant contributors towards enhanced psychological wellbeing. However, little is known about how religion/spirituality enhance wellbeing in those experiencing adversity. The aim of this research was to explore how religion/spirituality improve the wellbeing of individuals by studying the relationship between religion/spirituality and self-efficacy, as self-efficacy is associated with favourable treatment outcomes. It was hypothesised that religion/spirituality may lead to positive outcomes for individuals by enhancing their self-efficacy. It was also hypothesised that the relationship between religion/spirituality and self-efficacy would be moderated by Locus of Control, Cognitive Appraisal and Appraisal Accuracy. This present research used a quantitative approach and utilised a collection of scales to measure each of the above-mentioned variables. These scales included: the General Self-efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995), the Spirituality Self-Rating Scale (Galanter et al., 2007), the Centrality of Religiosity Scale-5 (CRS-5) by Hubber and Huber (2012), which will measure the extent to which participants are religious, the abbreviated Locus of Control Scale by Valecha and Ostrom (1974), based on Rotter (1966) Locus of Control Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale as a measure of Cognitive Appraisal by Cohen, Kamarck, and Mermelstein (1983) and the Cognitive Appraisal Accuracy Vignette (Sauser, Evans, & Champion, 1979). The participants who took part in this research were a sample of 87 students from Leeds Trinity University. The multiple regression analysis did not produce a statistically significant model which suggests the lack of a relationship between religion/spirituality and self-efficacy. Explanations for the results are discussed. In conclusion, the research may be alluding to the fact that it may be variables within religion/spirituality such as religious hope, which lead to enhanced wellbeing, within religious/spiritual individuals; rather than through the interaction between religion/spirituality and self-efficacy. Thus, this insinuates that religion/spirituality may independently enhance wellbeing within religious/spiritual individuals. It is recommended that future research focusses on studying factors such as religious hope and faith as these factors may enhance the psychological wellbeing of religious/spiritual individuals.