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Keywords
intrinsic religiosity, extrinsic religiosity, parasympathetic nervous system, heart rate variability
Abstract
Background
Intrinsic religiosity is a deeply rooted connection to one's faith. Individuals with high intrinsic religiosity find purpose and meaning through their spiritual connections. Extrinsic religiosity is primarily driven by social or other superficial factors. Intrinsic religiosity has demonstrated associations with lower self-reported stress, however, associations between intrinsic/extrinsic religiosity and baseline heart rate variability (HRV), a proxy measure of the parasympathetic nervous system, have not been studied. We hypothesize that higher self-reported stress will be associated with a lower baseline HRV, higher intrinsic religiosity will be correlated with higher baseline HRV, and intrinsic religiosity will serve as a buffer, such that stress will have a weaker influence on baseline HRV among individuals who are more intrinsically religious.
Methods
A survey and biofeedback study were conducted on a sample of 135 college students. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) and Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religiosity Scale (IE/R), as well as baseline heart rate variability (HRV), measured using a 3 lead ECG, were used. The impacts of stress on HRV across people with varying levels of intrinsic/extrinsic religiosity were analyzed through a multivariate regression model.
Broad Impacts
Although religiosity was not shown to serve as a moderator on stress and HRV, higher intrinsic religiosity was shown to correlate with healthier parasympathetic functioning as measured through HRV. It cannot be fully described why this correlation exists, but these findings could lead to further study on how intrinsic religiosity could play an important role in an individual’s stress response and well-being.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Bond, Sydnee; Hornberger, Hannah; McKasson, Parker; and Steffen, Patrick PhD, "Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Religiosity: Implications for the Parasympathetic Nervous System" (2024). FHSS Mentored Research Conference. 376.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/fhssconference_studentpub/376
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2024-04-11
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Psychology
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