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Religiosity and Personality

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Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning
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Synonyms

Individual differences; Religiousness

Definition

This topic concerns characteristics of religious individuals and refers to the extent to which religiosity itself can be seen as a personality factor and to the extent to which religiosity is related to other aspects of personality. The available studies have considered general personality traits as well as narrower or less stable personality characteristics. Although the topic is currently experiencing a revival, progress in the field of religiosity and personality has long been hindered by a general neglect of religion on the part of personality researchers. This negligence, which is still perceptible today, is understandable on the grounds of historical controversies between science and religion. However, it conflicts with the declared purpose of personality research, which is concerned with understanding what is most central to human functioning in a cultural context.

Theoretical Background

Despite its common usage, the term...

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References

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Correspondence to Carmine Maiello .

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Maiello, C. (2012). Religiosity and Personality. In: Seel, N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_711

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_711

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1427-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1428-6

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