Religious Participation Is Linked to Self-Esteem
Why?
Locus of Control
What is it? Locus of Control is the sense of being in control
Studies show that Locus of Control is related to Self-Esteem
Studies also show that praying can improve Locus of Control, probably because praying makes people feel powerful and it might also help people feel like they are doing good things for other people.
Locus of Control is part of the definition of self-esteem (Benson & Spika, 1973).
Believing in a deity might help improve one's Locus of Control because God is perceived of as powerful
Social Self-Esteem (Belongingness and Usefulness)
In many cultures, being part of a religious organization is something that is highly valued, even expected.
Therefore, being a member of a religious organization can improve one's sense of belonging in a community.
Belonging in a community can improve self-esteem, something that has been proven in the literature by Gebauer, Sedikides & Neberich (2011)
-- Being part of the religious group might help people to feel valued, and therefore improves their self-esteem.
-- If the society is secular, then being religious will not be as closely connected with self-esteem because religion is not valued in those societies.
Social Aspects of Religious Participation...
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