Religious contingent self-worth in U.S. Christians: A latent profile analysis

Religion can provide people with a sense of worthiness. The present study takes a person-centered approach to identify profiles of contingent self-worth within a Christian population and describe how profiles associate with well-being and religious outcomes. In two studies ( N = 941), latent profile analysis is used to identify hidden subtypes of people based on different constellations of self-worth contingent domains. Profiles are compared on distal well-being and religious outcomes. Six discriminant profiles of self-worth contingent domains differentially related to outcomes. (1) Internal-Social Contingents (high in internal and social domains) reported good well-being and highest religiosity, donated the most in a behavioral measure of generosity, and reported the greatest religious fundamentalism. (2) Internal Contingents (high only in internal domains) reported the highest well-being and moderate religiosity. (3) High Contingents (high in all domains) reported low well-being and high personal religiosity but also negative religious outcomes. (4) Medium Contingents (moderate in all domains) reported the worst well-being, moderate personal religiosity, and highest negative religious outcomes. (4) Low Contingents (low in all domains) reported moderate well-being, low personal religiosity, and moderate negative religious outcomes, and (6) External Contingents (high only in external domains) reported low well-being, lowest levels of religiosity, lowest levels of religious fundamentalism, and gave the least in a behavioral measure of generosity. Certain external domains in combination with internal domains can be beneficial for well-being, generosity, and positive religious outcomes. Profiles with moderate levels of religious contingent self-worth may be most at risk for ill-being and negative religious outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)