Table Of ContentPERSONALITY CHANGE RESULTING FROM A
RELIGIOUS CONVERSION EXPERIENCE
by
MICHAEL W. JOHNSEN, B.S.
A DISSERTATION
IN
PSYCHOLOGY
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty
of Texas Tech University in
Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for
the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
December, 1986
fJ(^' ?/\^ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to recognize a number of individuals who have
contributed to the completion of this project, from its inception
to the production of this document.
Dr. Kenneth Conrow and his staff at the Kansas State
University Computing Center deserve thanks for graciously allowing
me free access to their computer system.
I am indebted to the Psychology Service at the Colmery-O'Neil
VA Medical Center for their materiel support and encouragement
during the final assembly phase of this document.
I want to thank my committee members, Drs. Stephen Farr, Clay
George, Roger Greene, Bonnie Spring, and former member, John
Harvey, for their dedication and effort in critiquing the document.
I am particularly indebted to my chair, Dr. Clyde Hendrick for
his continual guidance, critical questioning, and encouragement as
well as his patience in reading through the many rough drafts.
Without his dedicated effort this project would be but an idea
whose time had not yet come.
I want to say a special thank-you to my family who have been
steadfast in their support, encouragement, and prayers throughout
this long journey.
Finally, a grateful thanks to my God, to whom this work and my
life are dedicated.
11
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i
ABSTRACT v
LIST OF TABLES vi
LIST OF FIGURES vi
I. INTRODUCTION 1
I. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 3
Theoretical Studies 3
Religious Conversion 6
Empirical Studies 13
Early Work 13
Religiosity and its Corelates 16
Conversion Studies: Antecedents 23
Conversion Studies: Consequences 26
Catholic Charismatics 3
Hypotheses • 35
Hypothesis 1 35
Hypothesis 2 35
Hypothesis 3 ., 36
I. METHOD 38
Subjects 38
Dependent Measures ^0
Religious Orientation Scale 40
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory 41
iii
Personal Orientation Inventory 42
Religious Belief Survey 4
Procedure 45
IV. RESULTS 47
Hypothesis 1 47
Hypothesis 2 49
Hypothesis 3 51
V. DISCUSION 71
Validity Threats 71
Interpretations 74
Limitations and Posibilities 82
LIST OF REFERENCES 84
APPENDICES
A. Data Concerning Religious Belief Survey 93
B. Examples of Inventories 95
IV
ABSTRACT
Throughout time humanity has been both intrigued and
frightened by the possibility of change. Nowhere has this
ambivalence been more prevalent and personally relevant than in the
arena of religion. From St. Paul's dramatic conversion on the road
to Damascus to contemporary revival meetings and religious cults,
people have sought in religion a means of effecting life-altering
change.
This study was undertaken to investigate the extent of
personality change subsequent to a gradual religious conversion
experience. The dimensions of personality selected for study
included level of state and trait anxiety, degree of intrinsic and
extrinsic religious orientation, extent of self-actualization, and
degree of affirmation of fundamental Catholic charismatic beliefs.
These personality dimensions were evaluated via a
quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design in which a group of
Catholic charismatics was assessed both prior to and following the
conversion experience. Their performance was then compared with a
demographically similar control group of active Catholics who had
never experienced a religious conversion.
The results suggested a significant decrease in trait anxiety
in conjunction with significant increases in degree of intrinsic
religious orientation and affirmation of charismatic beliefs. No
change was observed in degree of self-actualization, extrinsic
religious orientation, or level of state anxiety.
The study concludes by speculating about a possible
personality profile for Catholic charismatics as well as suggesting
recommendations for future research.
VI
LIST OF TABLES
1. Demographic Characteristics 47
2. ANOVA Results of Trait Anxiety 5
3. ANOVA Results of State Anxiety 57
4. ANOVA Results of Extrinsic Religious Orientation 59
5. ANOVA Results of Intrinsic Religious Orientations 61
6. ANOVA Results of POI Scale #1: Self-Actualizing Value ... 63
7. ANOVA Results of POI Scale #2: Existentiality 63
8. ANOVA Results of POI Scale #3: Feling Reactivity 6
9. ANOVA Results of POI Scale #9: Acceptance of Aggression . 66
10. ANOVA Results of Religious Belief Survey 69
Vll
LIST OF FIGURES
1. Pre-Testing/Post-Testing Comparison of Trait Anxiety .... 56
2. Pre-Testing/Post-Testing Comparisons of State Anxiety ... 58
3. Pre-Testing/Post-Testing Comparisons of Extrinsic Religious
Orientation 60
4. Pre-Testing/Post-Testing Comparisons of Intrinsic Religious
Orientation • 62
5. Pre-Testing/Post-Testing Comparisons of POI Scale #4:
Self-Actualizing Value 64
6. Pre-Testing/Post-Testing Comparisons of POI Scale #2:
Existentiality 65
7. Pre-Testing/Post-Testing Comparisons of POI Scale #3:
Feling Reactivity 67
8. Pre-Testing/Post-Testing Comparisons of POI Scale #9:
Aceptance of Agresion 68
9. Pre-Testing/Post-Testing Comparisons
of Religious Belief Survey 70
Vlll
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This means that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation.
The old order has passed away, now all is new!" (New American
Bible, 1971, 2 Corinthinians 5:17).
Throughout history people have been both intrigued and
frightened by the possibility of change, of "rebirth." These deep
fears and longings have been reflected in mythologies, ritual
practices and legends. For example, the transcultural myth of the
death and resurrection of the god-hero, the quest of the ancient
alchemists to unlock the secrets of converting base metals into
precious gold or perhaps the more contemporary instance of popular
belief in the power of hypnosis to "magically" effect substantive
life altering change, all reflect a powerful fascination with the
concept of conversion. Nowhere has the phenomenon of conversion
been the subject of more attention and controversy than in the
arena of religion.
From the time of St. Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to
Damascus to the current cult movements, religious leaders,
theologians, and laymen alike have debated, theorized, and
proffered explanations as to the true nature of the religious
conversion experience. These theories, often promulgated as though
they were divinely inspired facts, have spanned the continuum from
the sacred to the profane, from the notion that the experience is
1
divinely ordained and orchestrated to the secular view that
conversion is simply an instance of mass hysteria or brainwashing.
There are seemingly as many theories or explanations as there are
individuals willing to reflect upon the experience. In an effort
to better understand this very powerful, complex phenomenon
psychology, with its tools of disciplined, empirical observation,
has entered the arena. Researchers and clinicians have generated a
wealth of data and a variety of theories. Although no single
theory can provide a "conclusive" answer, theories are nonetheless
helpful in that, "...they allow us to order our accumulated
knowledge within a framework and may provide explanations for some
individuals under some conditions" (Farr, 1984, p. 2). Thus, both
the theoretical and the empirical approaches are indispensable to
ultimately unraveling the mysteries of the "new creation."
This study will report on the findings of an empirical
investigation assessing the impact of a religious conversion
experience upon various aspects of personality functioning.
Following this a tentative theoretical model of the conversion
process will be developed.
