Personality psychology is one of the main areas of study of psychology, so he has always tried to observe how our personality is formed, how it affects our behavior and how it affects the way we see the world as well, the relationship between personality and spirituality. has been studied more and more.
Although the study of spirituality and religiosity is not new, in the last 20 years a new branch has emerged: the psychology of religion and spirituality.
- Among its objectives would be to clarify the relationship between personality traits and spiritual beliefs.
- How they evolve throughout the life cycle and the adaptive importance they have for certain personalities.
However, the main drawback is reaching consensus on what spirituality is and what religiosity is.
One of the most commonly used definitions is that spirituality is an innate motivation that guides and orients behavior towards the construction of a broader personal meaning, that is, the belief that there is an order in the universe that transcends our thinking. , some authors suggest that it might even be a personality factor in itself.
On the other hand, religiosity is the set of beliefs, values and practices explicitly guided by a social or institutional tradition, which depends on education and culture, so religiosity is influenced by a person’s spirituality and module.
Although there are several models that classify personality differently, studies are usually based on the model of the 5 personality factors, depending on this model the personality can be defined according to the degree it presents in each of the following dimensions:
As mentioned above, spirituality consists of an innate motivation and the belief that there is a universal order that determines our behavior.
Some research has linked spirituality to the 5 personality factors, such as extraversion, openness, and kindness.
However, there are authors who argue that spirituality, in itself, includes nuances that should not include others (simplicity, detachment or loneliness), so they consider spirituality to be a sixth personality factor.
Depending on the degree of spirituality he presents, the person would show certain behavioral tendencies and certain ways of perceiving the world around him.
Religiosity contextualizes a person’s degree of spirituality. Since spirituality is considered more of a personality factor, most studies have associated different personality traits with religiosity.
In this sense, even if about 60% do not find a relationship, it is proven that greater religious spirituality is linked to a greater presence of neuroticism.
By contrast, 40% of studies indicate that more religious people exhibit more traits of responsibility. That is, a greater presence of goals and capacities to achieve them in a planned and organized way.
In addition, 87% of surveys found that people with a high degree of religiosity are more loving. As for the openness or ability to have more imagination or curiosity, 42% of studies found a positive relationship.
However, some authors believe that if the effects of spirituality are eliminated, that is, if they all have the same degree, greater religiosity would be associated with less openness.
One study examined the relationship between spirituality, religiosity and personality and found that all personality factors, with the exception of openness, are related to the degree of spirituality, this result was more expressive in the areas of kindness and responsibility. has only been associated with the latter two factors.
Specifically, these studies have observed that when the approach to religion is given by the search for answers to existential questions, but the sense of faith and spiritual meaning are weak, religion is linked to high neurosis and openness. was associated with low extroversion, kindness and conscience.
Another finding has been that when people approach religion in a more instrumental way, either because it gives them security or becomes a source of socialization, but intellectual and religious research is weak, there is a relationship with levels. under, neuroticism, pleasure and openness.