Religious orientations and prejudice

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between religious orientation and prejudice. This relationship is not much clear but earlier studies suggested that there has been a negative relationship between intrinsic religious orientation and prejudice towards out-groups and a positive relationship between extrinsic religious orientation and prejudice towards out-groups. Sample group is composed of university students. They were asked to complete The Religious Orientation Scale–ROS, Prejudice Scale (California F Scale, Form 40-45) and also a Personal Information Form. According to the findings there is a significant relationship between sex and department that the students are in while a similar relationship is observed between the department and intrinsic religious orientation. In addition, a relationship between intrinsic religious orientation and extrinsic religious orientation is significant. Furthermore Divinity Faculty students are not differentiated from the others in respect to extrinsic religious orientation while they have much higher scores than the others as regards to intrinsic religious orientation. Main effects of sex variable and the interaction effects of department and sex are not significant on religious orientations in statistical terms. Intrinsic religious orientation has a positive effect in predicting strict conformity to rules as sub-dimension of prejudice while it has a negative effect in predicting the disbelief to human agency. On the other hand, extrinsic religious orientation is found to be as a positive predictor of strict conformity to rules and disbelief to human agency. The variables of sex and department contributed to predict only disbelief to human agency.