Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Psychology/Clinical

The present study used longitudinal data to examine the relationship between sanctification of pregnancy and depressive symptoms in new parents during the Transition to Parenthood (TtP), which covers the third trimester of pregnancy to the infant's first year of life, and how this relationship could be moderated by the infant's temperament. This study used a sample of 164 married, heterosexual couples to separately examine whether each mother and father reports of higher sanctification of pregnancy or reports of more difficult infant temperament at 3 and 6 months predicted less parental depression over a child's first year of life after controlling for the given parent's depression during pregnancy. Sanctification is defined as a psychological process through which aspects of life are perceived as having divine character and significance. Sanctification can involve the perception that a specific aspect life reflects a manifestation of God (i.e., theistic sanctification) and/or sacred qualities (i.e., nontheistic sanctification). In this study, sanctification of pregnancy was measured by asking expecting mothers and fathers about how they viewed their pregnancy as a manifestation of God or as sacred. Child temperament refers to a child's distinctive patterns of emotions and behaviors that are biologically based and begin developing early in life. Using hierarchical regression analyses, sanctification of pregnancy was not found to be a significant predictor of parental depression and there was no significant interaction with child temperament. Post hoc analyses revealed parent gender was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Mothers reported a decrease in depressive symptoms from pregnancy to their child's first year of life, whereas fathers reported an increase in depressive symptoms across these time points. While there were no significant findings regarding sanctification of pregnancy, the TtP remains an important time period to examine and continued rese (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Annette Mahoney PhD (Advisor); Anne Gordon PhD (Committee Member); Kenneth Pargament PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Ministry , Ashland University, 2023, Doctor of Ministry Program

The purpose of this project was to impact Christian couples from New Life Church in Colorado Springs through an eight-week workshop to practice prayer and risk taking to deepen their intra and interpersonal connection with each other and God. The post-test measures included qualitative measures of participants' awareness connecting their capacity to be aware of and participate with the work of the Holy Spirit. The quantitative post-test instrument showed that the participants' awareness regarding what interferes with their identity security with God was increased due to the study. The qualitative post-test instrument showed an increase in the participants' awareness regarding how their relationship with God impacted their intra and interpersonal relationships.

Committee: Shane Johnson Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Counseling Psychology; Pastoral Counseling; Spirituality

Master of Arts, Case Western Reserve University, 0, Psychology

How do people decide whether or not to follow their conscience? Their decisions may depend partly on the beliefs people have about how important and reliable their conscience is. These beliefs, in turn, might be affected by religious and spiritual beliefs. I examined these ideas among adults active on Amazon Mechanical Turk (N = 305). This research required the creation of several new items, including sanctification of the conscience, beliefs about God and the devil's ability to influence the conscience, beliefs about the importance of the conscience, beliefs about the reliability of the conscience, and beliefs about how often people follow their conscience. All new variables showed good preliminary reliability and validity, and were expected to associate in meaningful ways. Results showed that most people view their conscience as very important and reliable, and most participants reported following their conscience often when making decisions. Several path analyses revealed that higher religiosity predicts tendencies to sanctify the conscience and believe that God and the devil can influence the conscience; more sanctification of the conscience predicts beliefs about higher importance and reliability of the conscience; and believing that the conscience is very important and very reliable predicts following the conscience more often. In sum, people's readiness to follow their conscience appears to depend, in part, on religiosity and the beliefs people have about their conscience. These findings, coupled with other research on the conscience and moral judgment, help to explain why some people report following their conscience often while others do not.

Committee: Julie Exline (Advisor); Sarah Hope Lincoln (Committee Member); Norah Feeny (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology; Religion; Spirituality

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Psychology

Body image research has historically focused on body dissatisfaction and its connection to disordered eating, though there has been a more recent shift to explore positive body image. While there is a growing literature investigating the causes, consequences, and correlates of positive body image in adults, relatively little is known about these relationships during adolescence. Adolescence is a time of significant development in various domains, including the physical, as well as a time when beliefs about the self and world are explored. As such, adolescence is a natural time to examine links between body image, identity, and personal values. The current study explored the relationship between positive body image and religious and spiritual (r/s) values in particular through a two-part approach that took place in high schools. In part one of the study, adolescents (N = 85; 75.3% self-identified girls) completed various questionnaire measures pertaining to personal values and body image. Higher levels of sanctification of the body and self-worth contingent upon perceptions of God's love predicted more body appreciation. For adolescent girls in particular, the relationship between sanctification of the body and body appreciation was partially mediated by internalization of the thin ideal. In part two of the study, adolescents (N = 83) engaged in one of three conditions (traditional, values/identity, control) that entailed small group discussion and personal letter-writing activities pertaining to body image. None of the conditions contributed to statistically significant improvements in body image, though participants' qualitative responses revealed that adolescents found the activities to be meaningful and beneficial. Research findings help explain relationships between identity, personal values, and positive body image during adolescence and reveal prevention program elements that may help foster positive body image.

Committee: Julie Exline PhD (Committee Chair); Sandra Russ PhD (Committee Member); Carolyn Ievers-Landis PhD (Committee Member); Justine Howe PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Psychology/Clinical

This study assessed emerging adults' beliefs that their sexual behavior with a committed partner was sacred/reflective of divine qualities (sanctification) and as a violation of something sacred (desecration) in a sample of 205 undergraduate students at a public university (66% female; 76% Caucasian) who were in a non-marital committed romantic relationship and sexually active within the past month. Results indicated that sanctification of sexuality (Sacred Qualities) was prevalent for college students in the context of non-marital committed relationships. Stronger beliefs that sexuality has sacred qualities were linked with greater relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and more frequent sexual behavior with one's partner. These results were significant both for emerging adults' personal beliefs and their perceptions of their r/s communities' beliefs about sanctification of sexuality. These findings confirm the results of initial studies of non-marital sanctification and extend the findings of marital sanctification studies, underscoring the relevance of studying sanctification beliefs about sexuality in non-marital relationships. Regarding negative r/s beliefs about sexuality, prevalence rates of desecration were somewhat low, yet desecration showed significant links to adjustment variables. Stronger personal desecration beliefs were linked to less relationship and sexual satisfaction as well as greater r/s struggles. Stronger perceptions of one's r/s community's desecration beliefs were linked with less frequent sexual behavior, greater sex guilt, and greater r/s struggles. These results situate desecration beliefs with similar constructs like moral incongruence about sexual behavior, supporting further research in this area. Together, sanctification and desecration findings show the intersection of helpful and harmful r/s beliefs and relational adjustment.

Committee: Annette Mahoney Ph.D. (Advisor); Katherine Brodeur Ph.D. (Committee Member); Joshua Grubbs Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dara Musher-Eizenman Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Psychology/Clinical

Researchers in the field of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (R/S) have begun to examine if holding specific spiritual beliefs or engaging in shared spiritual activities with another person is tied to relationship quality in marital and parent-child relationships, and the current project extends this line of research to friendships. I could locate no controlled psychological research that has examined the link between specific R/S factors and close friendship quality. The purpose of this investigation was to launch a novel program of research that concentrates on the role of sanctification of friendship and spiritual intimacy between friends and how they were linked to the quality of close friendships among college students. This was a cross-sectional study that recruited 634 college students from a university in the Midwest. Prevalence rates were collected and reported. Bivariate correlations showed that higher scores on the Manifestation of God (MG) subscale were associated with greater positivity in friendship (r=.09, p<.05), but not emotional intimacy. Higher scores on the Sacred Qualities (SQ) subscale were correlated with greater emotional intimacy (r=.21, P<.001), and positivity in friendship (r=.20, p<.001). Neither MG or SQ were correlated with negative friendship quality. Greater spiritual intimacy was related to greater positivity in friendship (r=.24, p<.001) and emotional intimacy (r=.3, p<.001), and to less negative friendship quality (r=-.27, p<.001). Hierarchical regressions were conducted to examine the unique effects of each sanctification subscale while controlling for important demographic variables. Greater endorsement of SQ in one's friendship still uniquely predicted higher emotional intimacy (B=.36, p<.001) and positivity in friendship (B=.31, p<.001). Unexpectedly, greater MG uniquely predicted lower emotional intimacy (B=-.24, p<.001) and positivity in friendship (B=-.17, p<.01). After controlling for emotional intimacy, hierarch (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Annette Mahoney Ph.D. (Advisor); Joshua Grubbs Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dara Musher-Eizenman Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2011, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser

Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) became accessible to a wider audience in Northeastern Ohio through the appropriation of 95.5 FM, the locally owned and operated all-classical music radio station in Cleveland, Ohio. CCM established its local presence on July 3, 2001 with the first morning show program broadcast on 95.5 WFHM-FM “The Fish” radio station. This dissertation posits that CCM text as heard on 95.5 “The Fish” functions as a didactic tool for sanctification, which is a process that frees one from sin. It is argued that CCM text uses popular music styles and song forms to convey the message of sanctification by reflecting the process as a lifelong journey and demonstrating the essential dyadic relationship between God and humankind.

Committee: Denise Seachrist PhD (Committee Chair); Ralph Lorenz PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Thomas Janson PhD (Committee Member); David Odell-Scott PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Gender; Music; Religion

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Psychology/Clinical

Using a rigorous longitudinal design, this dissertation examined whether spiritual beliefs and practices centered on marriage are resources that predict 164 married, first time parents' sexual satisfaction and intimacy from pregnancy to their child's first birthday. Spiritual resources were defined using the conceptual frameworks of sanctification of marriage, and individual and joint positive spiritual coping to handle marital difficulties. Contrary to expectations, greater sanctification of marriage, and the use of positive individual and joint spiritual coping did not predict sexual functioning from the third trimester of pregnancy to one year later after accounting for demographics, initial levels of sexual outcomes, and global religiousness. Some direct effects were found when only the given spiritual resource was entered in regression analyses. Analyses also supported the unique roles of initial levels of sexual functioning, biblical conservatism, and conflict about sex as predictors of spouses' future sexual quality. Both wives and husbands reported very high marital and sexual functioning across time, and thus indicated little to no stress that may have otherwise necessitated coping processes and impacted negatively their sexual bond during this transition. Therefore, while sanctification and coping have been found to be helpful in predicting individual and relational functioning, they did not emerge as particularly advantageous for these reportedly very happy, married couples. Several directions for future research are discussed.

Committee: Annette Mahoney (Advisor); Kenneth Pargament (Committee Member); Alfred DeMaris (Committee Member); Anne Gordon (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2008, Psychology/Clinical

The purpose of this study was to provide and test a unique theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between sport and religion. The construct of sanctification from the field of the psychology of religion was introduced as a way to understand and examine this relationship. Drawing from a sample of college athletes, the degree to which athletes perceive their participation in sport as sacred was assessed. Several hypotheses regarding the implications of athletes sanctifying their participation in sport were tested. Results indicated that athletes' sanctification of sport was not uncommon; that is, many athletes viewed their participation in sport as sacred. Furthermore, sanctification of sport predicted important psychological and psycho-spiritual behaviors related to sport participation as well as health benefits.

Committee: Kenneth Pargament (Advisor); Victoria Krane (Committee Member); Annette Mahoney (Committee Member); Casey Cromwell (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2008, Psychology/Clinical

A number of religious teachings and spiritually-integrated literature supports viewing sexuality, particularly marital sexuality, as having divine character and significance, and such perceptions of sanctification may facilitate healthy couple functioning. However, few empirical links have been documented among sexuality, marriage, and religion (e.g., Young et al., 1998). Studies on sanctification within the family have focused on the sanctification of marriage (Mahoney et al., 1999) and sexual intercourse in loving relationships (Murray-Swank et al., 2005). This study extends empirical exploration of the sanctification of marital sexuality. Among a sample of 83 newly married individuals, higher sanctification of marital sexuality was positively correlated with greater sexual and marital satisfaction, sexual and spiritual intimacy, investment in the sexual bond, and positive and negative religious coping. Higher sanctification also related to less global distress from sexual difficulties. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that sanctification of marital sexuality contributed an additional 1% to 17% of the variance in sexual, psychological, and spiritual criteria after accounting for demographic variables and conventional religiousness, with total variances accounted for by the regression models ranging from 28%-53%. Further analysis of two subscales of sanctification revealed that perceiving marital sexuality as sacred tended to contribute to significant variance over and above the perception of marital sexuality as a manifestation of God. Correlations between sanctification and sexual and non-sexual processes have implications for continued research and support the integrated assessment of religion and sexuality in marital therapy.

Committee: Annette Mahoney (Advisor); Kenneth Pargament (Committee Member); Anne Gordon (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2011, Leadership and Change

The majority of mainline denomination churches in America have experienced decline in membership, worship attendance, and vitality for over fifty years. As well, church members' lifestyles, commitments, and habits tend to be not all that unlike Americans who do not attend church. Many church members live relatively nominal Christian lives when compared to the nature of the Christian life and discipleship described by Jesus in the gospels of the New Testament. This nominal understanding and adoption of the Christian life makes church membership and involvement unnecessary or secondary to the many other demands in modern life. Denominational officials, church pastors, and lay members of churches, in response to the decline in church membership and involvement, have attempted several fixes that have not reversed the overall trend. Similarly, efforts to increase the commitment level of parishioners to live more closely the life Jesus described for his followers have been inconsistent and results have been sporadic. The purpose of this study was to explore the radical nature of the life of Christian discipleship, the phenomena of conversion and transformation in adopting and developing this life, and one church's approach in leading persons to this life. I studied a United Methodist Church through a one-week visit in which I interviewed pastors, lay leaders, and a variety of church members. I attended worship services, meetings, and other events to gain an appreciation of the culture of the church in relationship to the nature of radical discipleship. Using a style of research and narrative writing called portraiture, I describe the church and several persons' faith experiences. This narrative gives the reader a thoughtful interpretation of the church and what I have discovered, in my interpretation, are the key elements to the church's ability to form radical disciples. The electronic version of this Dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Committee: Carolyn Kenny PhD (Committee Chair); Philomena Essed PhD (Committee Member); Joel Green PhD (Committee Member); Donald Polkinghorne PhD (Other) Subjects: Clergy; Religion; Religious Congregations; Religious Education; Spirituality; Theology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2013, Psychology/Clinical

One area of workplace spirituality ripe for investigation is use of religion and spirituality (R/S) to cope with job insecurity. Pertinent literature on transactional coping, R/S coping, sanctification of work, workplace spirituality, and job insecurity is reviewed. Using Mechanical Turk, 467 individuals from the United States who were experiencing some type of job insecurity in their full-time jobs participated in this study. Participants had worked at their respective companies for approximately 4.31 years. The sample was 52.9% male, 77.5% Caucasian, with a mean age of 30.22 years. Approximately 38.5% of the participants stated they never attended R/S services and 35.5% denied having any R/S affiliation. Positive R/S coping moderated the relationship between an individual's organizational commitment and job satisfaction. There was a stronger positive relationship between organizational commitment and job satisfaction for people who use less positive R/S coping relative to greater use of positive R/S coping. Negative R/S coping separately moderated the relationships between total job insecurity and cognitive/affective job insecurity with psychological distress and health respectively. For those individuals who reported greater use of negative R/S coping, the relationship between either form of job insecurity with psychological distress was more strongly positive than for people who used lower levels of negative R/S coping. For those who reported greater use of negative R/S coping, the connection between either form of job insecurity and poorer health was stronger. Sanctification of work moderated the relationships between organizational commitment and health, organizational support and psychological distress, as well as organizational support and health. In each of these cases, greater use of sanctification was tied to stronger relationships between the organizational and adjustment related variable: positive relationships between organizational var (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kenneth Pargament (Advisor); Annette Mahoney (Committee Member); Alfred DeMaris (Committee Member); Steve Jex (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Business Administration; Clinical Psychology; Management; Occupational Health; Occupational Psychology; Organizational Behavior; Psychology; Religion; Spirituality

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2013, Psychology/Clinical

Work stress has long been a topic of interest in both the academic world and popular culture. Work stress has been linked to a number of negative outcomes, including both mental and physical health. Religiosity, on the other hand, has been shown to increase well being. Research has shown that the sanctification of work may be linked to higher levels of positive outcomes such as job satisfaction. However, links between work stress in human services work and health outcomes, and how the sanctification of work may affect this relationship, have not been directly examined. The purpose of the current study was to address this gap in the research. This study examined links between work stress, health outcomes, and the sanctification of work. 104 employees living in either the Northeast or the Midwest and working in the human services field completed a series of measures designed to address these constructs. It was hypothesized that work stress would be linked to poor outcomes, sanctification would be linked to positive outcomes, and that sanctification would buffer the relationship between work stress and poor outcomes. Results were mixed in regards to confirming current hypotheses. With some exceptions, main analyses revealed that work stress was linked to poorer health outcomes and sanctification was linked to positive outcomes. Moderation analyses provided mixed support regarding the role of sanctification as a moderator. These findings are discussed along with implications, limitations, and future directions.

Committee: Steve Jex PhD (Committee Chair); Kenneth Pargament PhD (Committee Member); Robert Carels PhD (Committee Member); Gregory Rich PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Health; Mental Health; Organizational Behavior; Psychology; Religion; Spirituality