TY - CHAP
T1 - The relationship between spirituality, assessed through self-transcendent goal strivings, and positive psychological attributes
AU - Leak, Gary K.
AU - De Neve, Kristina M.
AU - Greteman, Adam J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Koninklijke Brill N V, Leiden, 2007.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Emmons (1999) demonstrated that spiritual motivations can be assessed through personal goal strivings that are oriented toward the transcendent. This study used a nomothetic approach to the measurement of goal strivings and attempted to link spiritual strivings to many of the attributes (a) championed by the positive psychology movement (e.g., Seligman, 2002) and (b) consistent with classic theories of healthy personality development and functioning (e.g., Erikson, 1968; Maslow, 1971; Ryan & Deci, 2000, 2001; Schawrtz, 1992). Using a sample of college students, we found that spiritual, self-transcendent strivings were related as predicted with positive emotions (e.g., vitality and zest, satisfaction with life), psychological health (achieved identity, selfactualization tendencies), sense of meaning and purpose (self-actualization), capacity for intimate and selfless interpersonal relationships (secure attachments, intimacy, and generativity), other-oriented vs. self-oriented values (benevolence and universalism vs. power and hedonism), and healthy, intrinsic vs. egocentric motivations (intimacy vs. power). With only a few exceptions this research demonstrated that (a) goal strivings can be successfully assessed through a nomothetic strategy and (b) spirituality, approached via self-transcendent goal strivings, is related to a variety of positive characteristics consistent with positive psychology theory.
AB - Emmons (1999) demonstrated that spiritual motivations can be assessed through personal goal strivings that are oriented toward the transcendent. This study used a nomothetic approach to the measurement of goal strivings and attempted to link spiritual strivings to many of the attributes (a) championed by the positive psychology movement (e.g., Seligman, 2002) and (b) consistent with classic theories of healthy personality development and functioning (e.g., Erikson, 1968; Maslow, 1971; Ryan & Deci, 2000, 2001; Schawrtz, 1992). Using a sample of college students, we found that spiritual, self-transcendent strivings were related as predicted with positive emotions (e.g., vitality and zest, satisfaction with life), psychological health (achieved identity, selfactualization tendencies), sense of meaning and purpose (self-actualization), capacity for intimate and selfless interpersonal relationships (secure attachments, intimacy, and generativity), other-oriented vs. self-oriented values (benevolence and universalism vs. power and hedonism), and healthy, intrinsic vs. egocentric motivations (intimacy vs. power). With only a few exceptions this research demonstrated that (a) goal strivings can be successfully assessed through a nomothetic strategy and (b) spirituality, approached via self-transcendent goal strivings, is related to a variety of positive characteristics consistent with positive psychology theory.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=43249139888&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=43249139888&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1163/ej.9789004158511.i-301.102
DO - 10.1163/ej.9789004158511.i-301.102
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:43249139888
T3 - Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion
SP - 263
EP - 279
BT - Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 18
A2 - Piedmont, Ralph L.
A2 - Piedmont, Ralph L.
PB - Entomological Society of Canada
ER -