Abstract

AQUINO, Thiago Antônio Avellar de et al. Religious attitude and the meaning of life: a correlational study. Psicol. cienc. prof. [online]. 2009, vol.29, n.2, pp. 228-243. ISSN 1414-9893.

This research has investigated the meaning of life (Viktor Frankl) and the religious attitude. According to logotherapy, religiousness does not necessarily mean the choice for a specific religion, but it can be one of the possible ways for man to find the meaning in life. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between the meaning of life and the religious attitude in a transversal and correlational manner. The sample was composed of 300 participants, male and female. 37% men and 63% women, 42 years old average. The instruments were Crumbauch and Maholick’s Life Purpose Test (PIL-Test) and Aquino’s Religiousness/ Spirituality Attitude Scale. The results showed positive correlations between religious attitude and existential realization, religious attitude and age, existential despair and existential emptiness, and existential realization and age, as well as negative correlations between religious attitude and existential despair, religious attitude and existential emptiness, existential despair and existential realization, and existential emptiness and existential realization. It was observed that the religious attitude is a way to find the meaning of life, as well as an element to avoid existential emptiness and existential despair.

Keywords : Meaning of life; Attitude; Religion; Religiosity.

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