Religious orientation and personality styles in psychology students

Abstract

The relationship between religion and personality has often been debated in psychology with some theorists advocating the inclusion of religion in models of personality and others advocating that religion is a separate entity from personality. Other research also debates whether religion impacts positively or negatively on personality. Thus the relationship between perceptions of religious orientation and personality styles utilising the Allport-Ross Religious Orientation Scale (1967) and the Millon Index of Personality Styles (1994) was investigated in a sample of 158 psychology students at the University of the Witwatersrand. Results indicated significant differences in the personality styles of intrinsically and extrinsically religiously oriented students. Significant differences were also found between religiously affiliated individuals and individuals with no religious affiliation in terms of personality and religious orientation. The implications of these results for the field of personality psychology are discussed with particular emphasis on the role of religion within personality psychology.