Not Just a Prayer Before a Test: Theodicy Among Students

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential social and academic impact of theodicy, perceived control of events by God. The sample included 428 college students from two public universities, consenting to complete internet-based protocols. Standardized measures included the Theodicy Scale (Daugherty et al., 2009), Work Related Uncertainty Scale (WRUS; Pierce et al., 2011), Big Five Inventory (BFI; John and Srivastava, 1999), and Social Desirability Scale-17 (SDS-17; Stöber, 2001). A stepwise regression analysis found the following variables were significantly associated with theodicy: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, reluctance to disclose uncertainty, and college GPA. Sociable and easy-going, persons with high theodicy scores appear less open to receiving and expressing challenging ideas and tend to achieve lower college grades. The tendency to perceive God as active in the minutia of history may have implications for the academic and personal adjustment of college students, but future research will need to move beyond correlation in order to establish causal relationships.