Religious Orientation:An Exploration Towards Self-efficacy

Religion is a powerful force that holds a special and pertinent place in the lives of those who adhere to it. Amyriad of studies have indicated the positive and favourable outcomes associated with religious participation and involvement. The present study was formulated to unravel the relationship of Religious Orientation with Selfefficacy within the Indian context. It was further aimed to determine the dominant religious orientation within the sample. The present study adopted a correlational, cross-sectional research design. The desired sample of 108 young adults falling in the age bracket of 21-25 years in India was obtained by employing convenience sampling. Allport and Ross's Religious Orientation Scale was employed to determine participant's approach to religion, in addition Schwarzer and Jerusalem's General Self-efficacy Scale was also used for data collection. The paired t-test indicated extrinsic religious orientation as dominant within the sample (p < .001). Moreover, no significant correlation was found between religious orientation and self-efficacy. These findings are somewhat consistent with the previous literature and further support the notion that intrinsic orientation is a healthier and mature approach to religion in comparison to extrinsic orientation. It can thus be implied that the sample might have a higher likelihood of developing any psychopathological state due to its extrinsic religious orientation if coupled with other circumstances. The findings can be further used to design interventions which focus on imbibing religion as self-reliant on its own.