Risk and Religion: An Explanation of Gender Differences in Religiosity
Keywords
Religiosity, Risk preferences, Gender differences, Risk taking, Religion, Risk analysis, Risk aversion, Socialization, Adolescents, Gender roles
Abstract
Gender differences in religiosity are well known. Past studies have consistently shown that females tend to be more religious than males. We propose that gender differences in risk preferences are related to differences in religiosity. Building on the classic concept of "Pascal's wager," we conceive of religious behavior as risk averse and nonreligious behavior as risk taking. Analysis of data from the Monitoring the Future data set shows that the addition of risk preference strongly attenuates gender differences in religiosity. Risk preference also is a significant predictor of religiosity within each gender. Implications of this study are discussed.
Original Publication Citation
Miller, Alan S., and John P. Hoffmann. 1995. “Risk and Religion: An Explanation of Gender Differences in Religiosity.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 34(1): 63-75.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Miller, Alan S. and Hoffmann, John P., "Risk and Religion: An Explanation of Gender Differences in Religiosity" (1995). Faculty Publications. 3955.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/3955
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
1995-3
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6765
Publisher
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Sociology
Copyright Status
© 1995 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
Copyright Use Information
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/