Attributing Problem-Solving to God, Receiving Social Support, and Stress-Moderation

Bibliographic Data

ID2288133
AuthorsG “chuck” Rainville (0000-0002-1545-1977, Research Department AARP, corresponding author), N Krause (0000-0002-9979-2997, School of Public Health, University of Michigan)
Year2020
Volume59
Issue3
Pages476-483
Publication date2020-09-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal for the Scientific Study of Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-8294 • E-ISSN: 1468-5906
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jssr.12666
OpenAlexW3043063108
LanguageEN
References cited10

This research note explores the stress-moderating effects of attributing a problem-solving role to God among a nationwide sample of 2,260 Americans. Specifically, the ways in which the perception of 'God-as-a-problem-solver' moderates stress is explored for Americans reporting low and high levels of social support from other people. Within a model that interacts two moderators (i.e., a moderated moderation analysis), two predictions are tested that extend from social support and sense of control frameworks. Consistent with one prediction, viewing God-as-a-problem-solver had a stress-buffering effect (i.e., a reduction of the negative impact of life stressors on a depressive symptomology outcome measure) among those receiving low social support. Consistent with a second prediction, viewing God-as-a-problem-solver served as a stress-exacerbator among those already receiving high levels of social support. Findings suggest that the optimal count of supportive sets of entities (be it God or other people) is no fewer or no more than one

Moderation · Perception · Problem solver · Social support · Solver · Stress (linguistics) · Stressor · Clinical Psychology · Computer Science · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Society, and Development · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology

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