Research Article
Spousal Religiosity is Positively Associated with the Partner's Meaning in Life
Jong Hyun Jung,
Corresponding Author
Jong Hyun Jung
School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University
Correspondence should be addressed to Jong Hyun Jung, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Ave, Singapore 639818. E-mail: sociocus75@gmail.com
Search for more papers by this authorJong Hyun Jung,
Corresponding Author
Jong Hyun Jung
School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University
Correspondence should be addressed to Jong Hyun Jung, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Ave, Singapore 639818. E-mail: sociocus75@gmail.com
Search for more papers by this authorData: The current study uses data from the 2006 Portraits of American Life Study, which can be accessed in the following website: http://thearda.com/Archive/PALS.asp
Abstract
Past research has established that personal religiosity is positively associated with a sense of meaning in life. However, it has largely overlooked how religious others influence one's own life meaning. Given that a marital partner may be the most influential other in a person's everyday life, this study aims to examine how the religiosity of one's spouse is associated with the sense of meaning in life of the self, regardless of the religiosity of the self. Moreover, this study assesses whether this association differs by gender. Analysis of data from the 2006 Portraits of American Life Study reveals that spousal religiosity is positively associated with the partner's meaning in life, net of the partner's own religious commitment. However, these observed patterns do not vary by gender. Overall, these observations highlight the importance of social contexts in which others’ religious attributes are related to one's own meaning in life.
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