Research Article
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The RelationshIp between helping behaviors, religiosity and lIfe satisfaction. A case study on Turkish Muslims

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 7 - 25, 30.11.2017

Abstract

Last two decades, various studies have been carried out to examine

virtues and their relations to religiosity and positive health

appearances such as happiness, wellbeing and life satisfaction.

The emerging of positive psychology has cultivated the spreading

of studies on the relationship between variables mentioned above.

This paper investigates the relationship between helping behaviors,

religiosity and life satisfaction on the case of Turkish Muslim

sample. A total 230 participants were recruited from different districts

of Istanbul (Turkey) using non-random snowball sampling

techniques in December 2016. Among the participants sampled,

47% (N=108) are men and 53% (N=122) women. Ages of participants

range between 15 and 70 and mean age is 28.5 (SD=10.8).

In the current study, “Brief Islamic Religiosity Scale” and “Empathic

Inclination Measure”, “Helping Behaviors Scale” and “Scale

for Satisfaction with Life” are applied to the sample. According

to regression findings, religiosity has a positive effect on ‘helping

behaviors’ and ‘life satisfaction’. Findings also indicated that

empathy and religiosity are mediating factor on the relationship

between helping and life satisfaction. Implications of these results




























and suggestions for future research are discussed.

References

  • Abdel-Khalek, A. M., “Happiness, health, andreligiosity: significant associations among Lebanese adolescents”, Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 17(1), 2014, 2014, pp. 30–38.
  • Afolabi, O. A., “Psychosocial Predictors of Prosocial Behaviour among A Sample of Nigerian Undergraduates”, European Scientific Journal, 10 (2), 2014, pp. 241-266.
  • Aghababaei, N., Mohammadtabar, S. & Saffarinia, M. “Dirty Dozen vs. the H factor: Comparison of the Dark Triad and Honesty–Humility in prosociality, religiosity, and happiness”, Personality and Individual Differences, 67, 2014, pp. 6–10.
  • Arli, D. &Lasmono, H., “Are religious people more caring? Exploring the impact of religiosity on charitable organizations in a developing country”, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 20, 2015, pp. 38-51.
  • Ayten, A. & Ferhan, H., “Forgiveness, Religiousness, and Life Satisfaction: An Empirical Study on Turkish and Jordanian University Students”, Spiritual Psychology and Counseling, 1 (1), 2016, pp. 75-84.
  • Ayten, A., Prososyal Davranıslarda Dindarlik ve Empatinin Rolü, Doctorate Thesis, Istanbul: Marmara University, 2009.
  • Ayten, A., Din ve Sağlık: Bireysel Dindarlık, Sağlık Davranışları ve Hayat Memnuniyeti İlişkisi Üzerine Bir Araştırma [Religion and Health: A Study on the relationship between individual religiosity, health behavior and life satisfaction]. Din Bilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi, 13 (3), 2014, pp. 7-31.
  • Ayten, A., Empati ve Din (Empathy and Religion), Istanbul: Iz Yayincilik, 2010.
  • Ayten, A., Tanrıya Sığınmak (To Take shelter in God), Istanbul: Iz Yayincilik, 2012.
  • Ayten, A., “Are Religious people benevolent people? A Study on the case of Turkish Muslims”, Journal of Intercultural and Religious Studies,(4), 2013, pp. 63-76.
  • Baron, R. M. & Kenny, A. D., “The Moderator-Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychological Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51 (6), 1986, pp. 1173-1182.
  • Batson, C. D., “Religion as Prosocial: Agent or Double Agent?”, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 15 (1), 1976, pp. 19-45.
  • Batson, C. D., Schoenrade, P., & Virginia, P., “Brotherly Love or Self-Concern? Behavioural consequences of religion”. In L. D. Brown (Ed.), Advances in the Psychology of Religion, (pp. 185-208), New York: Pergamon Press, 1985.
  • Becchetti, L.,Corrado, L.&Conzo, P., “Sociability, altruism and well-being”, Cambridge Journal of Economics, 41, 2017, pp. 441-486.
  • Berkowitz, L. & Lutterman, K. G., “The Traditional Socially Responsible Personality”, Public Opinion Quarterly, 32,1968, pp. 169-185.
  • Crawford, M. & Unger, R., Women and Gender: A Feminist Psychology, 3. Edition. Boston: The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2000.
  • Darley, J. M., & Batson, C. D., “From Jerusalem to Jericho: A Study of Situational and Dispositional Variables in Helping Behavior”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 27, 1973, pp. 100-108.
  • Darley, J. M. & Latané, B., “Bystander Intervention in Emergencies: Diffusion of Responsibility”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8(4), 1968, pp. 377-383.
  • Davis, M., “Interpersonal Reactivity Index”. Empathy: A Social Psychological Approach. Boulder: Westview Press, 1996.
  • Decety, J., Cowell, J. M., Lee, K., Mahasneh, R., Malcolm-Smith, S., Selçuk, B. & Zhou, X. “The Negative Association between Religiousness and Children’s Altruism across the World”, Current Biology, 25, 2015, pp. 1-5.
  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J. & Griffin, S. “The Satisfaction with Life Scale”, Journal of Personality Assesment, 49, 1985, pp. 71-75.
  • Einolf, C., The Roots of Altruism: A Gender and Life Course Perspective, Doctorate Thesis, Virginia: University of Virginia, 2006.
  • Ellison, C. G., “Are Religious People Nice People? Evidence from the National Survey of Black Americans”, Social Forces, 71(2), 1992, pp. 411-430.
  • Fiori, K. L., Browni, E E., Cortina, K. S. &Antonucci, T. C., “Locus of control as a mediator of therelationshipbetweenreligiosityand life satisfaction: Age, race, andgenderdifferences”, Mental Health, Religion&Culture,9(3), 2006, pp. 239–263.
  • Franzoi, Stephen L., Social Psychology, Boston: McGraw Hill, 2000.
  • Gillet, K. S., Parental and Religious Influences on Adolescent Empathy and Antisocial Behavior among Latino and Euro-American Youth: An Investigation of Mediating and Moderating Effects, Doctorate Thesis. Texas: Texas Tech University, 2006.
  • Hackney, C. &Sanders, G. “Religiosity andMentalHealth: A Meta-Analysis of RecentStudies”, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42(1), 2003, pp. 43-55.
  • Hintikka, J.,Koskela, T., Kontula, O., Koskela, K., Koivumaa-Honkanen, H., &Viinamaki, H., “Religious Attendance and Life Satisfaction in theFinnish General Population”, Journal of Psychology and Theology, 29 (2), 2001, pp.158-164.
  • Hoffman, M. L., “Empathy, Social Cognition and Moral Action”, In W Kurtines & J. Gerwitz (Eds.), Moral Behavior and Development: Advances in Theory Research and Applications, New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1984.
  • Hood, R. W. et al. The Psychology of Religion: An Empirical Approach, New York: The Guilford Press, 1996.
  • Iqbal, F., “Prosocial Behavior in Different Situations among Men and Women”, Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 8 (6), 2013, pp. 31-40.
  • Kanekar, S. & Merchant, S. M., “Helping Norms in Relation to Religious Affiliation”, The Journal of Social Psychology, 141 (5), 2001, pp. 617-626.
  • Khan, Z. H., Watson, P. J., & Habib, F., “Muslim Attitudes toward Religion, Religious Orientation and Empathy among Pakistanis”, Mental Health, Religion&Culture, 8 (1), 2005, pp. 49-61.
  • Krause, N. & Hayward, D., “Religiousinvolvement, helpingothers, andpsychologicalwell- being”, Mental Health, Religion&Culture, 17 (6), 2014, pp. 629-640.
  • McGuire, A. M., “Helping Behaviors in the Natural Environment: Dimensions and Correlates of Helping”, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20, 1995, pp. 45-56.

Yardım Etme Davranışları, Dindarlık ve Hayat Memnuniyeti Arasındaki İlişki Üzerine Ampirik Bir Araştırma

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 7 - 25, 30.11.2017

Abstract

Son çeyrek yüzyılda, erdemlerin dindarlık ve mutluluk, iyi oluş,

hayat memnuniyeti gibi pozitif sağlık göstergeleriyle ilişkisine

dair pek çok araştırma yapılmıştır. Pozitif psikoloji yaklaşımının

ortaya çıkışı, söz konusu bu değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiyi ele

alan araştırmaların sayısını artırmıştır. Bu makale, yardım etme

davranışları, dindarlık ve hayat memnuniyetini ilişkisini, İstanbul’dan

toplanan 230 kişilik bir çalışma grubundan elde edilen

veriler çerçevesinde ele almaktadır. Çalışma grubu kartopu örnekleme

yöntemiyle seçilmiş ve veriler Aralık 2016 yılında toplanmıştır.


















Katılımcıların %47’si erkek %53’ü kadınlardan oluşmaktadır. Katılımcıların yaşları 15-70 arasında değişmektedir.










Yaş ortalaması M=28.5 (SD=10.8)’dir. Araştırmada veri toplama


aracı olarak, Dindarlık Ölçeği, Empatik Eğilim Ölçeği, Hayat Memnuniyeti


Ölçeği ve Yardım Etme Davranışları Ölçeği kullanılmıştır.


Regresyon analizine göre, dindarlığın hem yardım etme hem de


hayat memnuniyeti üzerinde olumlu etkisi vardır. Yine bulgulara


göre empati ve dindarlık, yardım etme ve hayat memnuniyeti ilişkisinde


arabulucu faktörler olmuştur.

References

  • Abdel-Khalek, A. M., “Happiness, health, andreligiosity: significant associations among Lebanese adolescents”, Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 17(1), 2014, 2014, pp. 30–38.
  • Afolabi, O. A., “Psychosocial Predictors of Prosocial Behaviour among A Sample of Nigerian Undergraduates”, European Scientific Journal, 10 (2), 2014, pp. 241-266.
  • Aghababaei, N., Mohammadtabar, S. & Saffarinia, M. “Dirty Dozen vs. the H factor: Comparison of the Dark Triad and Honesty–Humility in prosociality, religiosity, and happiness”, Personality and Individual Differences, 67, 2014, pp. 6–10.
  • Arli, D. &Lasmono, H., “Are religious people more caring? Exploring the impact of religiosity on charitable organizations in a developing country”, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 20, 2015, pp. 38-51.
  • Ayten, A. & Ferhan, H., “Forgiveness, Religiousness, and Life Satisfaction: An Empirical Study on Turkish and Jordanian University Students”, Spiritual Psychology and Counseling, 1 (1), 2016, pp. 75-84.
  • Ayten, A., Prososyal Davranıslarda Dindarlik ve Empatinin Rolü, Doctorate Thesis, Istanbul: Marmara University, 2009.
  • Ayten, A., Din ve Sağlık: Bireysel Dindarlık, Sağlık Davranışları ve Hayat Memnuniyeti İlişkisi Üzerine Bir Araştırma [Religion and Health: A Study on the relationship between individual religiosity, health behavior and life satisfaction]. Din Bilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi, 13 (3), 2014, pp. 7-31.
  • Ayten, A., Empati ve Din (Empathy and Religion), Istanbul: Iz Yayincilik, 2010.
  • Ayten, A., Tanrıya Sığınmak (To Take shelter in God), Istanbul: Iz Yayincilik, 2012.
  • Ayten, A., “Are Religious people benevolent people? A Study on the case of Turkish Muslims”, Journal of Intercultural and Religious Studies,(4), 2013, pp. 63-76.
  • Baron, R. M. & Kenny, A. D., “The Moderator-Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychological Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51 (6), 1986, pp. 1173-1182.
  • Batson, C. D., “Religion as Prosocial: Agent or Double Agent?”, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 15 (1), 1976, pp. 19-45.
  • Batson, C. D., Schoenrade, P., & Virginia, P., “Brotherly Love or Self-Concern? Behavioural consequences of religion”. In L. D. Brown (Ed.), Advances in the Psychology of Religion, (pp. 185-208), New York: Pergamon Press, 1985.
  • Becchetti, L.,Corrado, L.&Conzo, P., “Sociability, altruism and well-being”, Cambridge Journal of Economics, 41, 2017, pp. 441-486.
  • Berkowitz, L. & Lutterman, K. G., “The Traditional Socially Responsible Personality”, Public Opinion Quarterly, 32,1968, pp. 169-185.
  • Crawford, M. & Unger, R., Women and Gender: A Feminist Psychology, 3. Edition. Boston: The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2000.
  • Darley, J. M., & Batson, C. D., “From Jerusalem to Jericho: A Study of Situational and Dispositional Variables in Helping Behavior”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 27, 1973, pp. 100-108.
  • Darley, J. M. & Latané, B., “Bystander Intervention in Emergencies: Diffusion of Responsibility”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8(4), 1968, pp. 377-383.
  • Davis, M., “Interpersonal Reactivity Index”. Empathy: A Social Psychological Approach. Boulder: Westview Press, 1996.
  • Decety, J., Cowell, J. M., Lee, K., Mahasneh, R., Malcolm-Smith, S., Selçuk, B. & Zhou, X. “The Negative Association between Religiousness and Children’s Altruism across the World”, Current Biology, 25, 2015, pp. 1-5.
  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J. & Griffin, S. “The Satisfaction with Life Scale”, Journal of Personality Assesment, 49, 1985, pp. 71-75.
  • Einolf, C., The Roots of Altruism: A Gender and Life Course Perspective, Doctorate Thesis, Virginia: University of Virginia, 2006.
  • Ellison, C. G., “Are Religious People Nice People? Evidence from the National Survey of Black Americans”, Social Forces, 71(2), 1992, pp. 411-430.
  • Fiori, K. L., Browni, E E., Cortina, K. S. &Antonucci, T. C., “Locus of control as a mediator of therelationshipbetweenreligiosityand life satisfaction: Age, race, andgenderdifferences”, Mental Health, Religion&Culture,9(3), 2006, pp. 239–263.
  • Franzoi, Stephen L., Social Psychology, Boston: McGraw Hill, 2000.
  • Gillet, K. S., Parental and Religious Influences on Adolescent Empathy and Antisocial Behavior among Latino and Euro-American Youth: An Investigation of Mediating and Moderating Effects, Doctorate Thesis. Texas: Texas Tech University, 2006.
  • Hackney, C. &Sanders, G. “Religiosity andMentalHealth: A Meta-Analysis of RecentStudies”, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42(1), 2003, pp. 43-55.
  • Hintikka, J.,Koskela, T., Kontula, O., Koskela, K., Koivumaa-Honkanen, H., &Viinamaki, H., “Religious Attendance and Life Satisfaction in theFinnish General Population”, Journal of Psychology and Theology, 29 (2), 2001, pp.158-164.
  • Hoffman, M. L., “Empathy, Social Cognition and Moral Action”, In W Kurtines & J. Gerwitz (Eds.), Moral Behavior and Development: Advances in Theory Research and Applications, New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1984.
  • Hood, R. W. et al. The Psychology of Religion: An Empirical Approach, New York: The Guilford Press, 1996.
  • Iqbal, F., “Prosocial Behavior in Different Situations among Men and Women”, Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 8 (6), 2013, pp. 31-40.
  • Kanekar, S. & Merchant, S. M., “Helping Norms in Relation to Religious Affiliation”, The Journal of Social Psychology, 141 (5), 2001, pp. 617-626.
  • Khan, Z. H., Watson, P. J., & Habib, F., “Muslim Attitudes toward Religion, Religious Orientation and Empathy among Pakistanis”, Mental Health, Religion&Culture, 8 (1), 2005, pp. 49-61.
  • Krause, N. & Hayward, D., “Religiousinvolvement, helpingothers, andpsychologicalwell- being”, Mental Health, Religion&Culture, 17 (6), 2014, pp. 629-640.
  • McGuire, A. M., “Helping Behaviors in the Natural Environment: Dimensions and Correlates of Helping”, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20, 1995, pp. 45-56.
There are 35 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Ali Ayten

Publication Date November 30, 2017
Submission Date September 9, 2017
Acceptance Date October 12, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2017 Volume: 3 Issue: 2

Cite

ISNAD Ayten, Ali. “The RelationshIp Between Helping Behaviors, Religiosity and LIfe Satisfaction. A Case Study on Turkish Muslims”. Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi İslam Tetkikleri Merkezi Dergisi 3/2 (November 2017), 7-25.