The Relationship of Spiritual and Moral Qualities with Altruistic Attitudes and Subjective Well-Being

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Abstract

The author deals with issues related to such constructs, as ‘spirituality of the personality,’ ‘altruism,’ and ‘subjective well-being.’ The results of two empirical studies of the relationship of spiritual and moral qualities with (1) altruistic attitudes, and (2) with subjective well-being are presented and analyzed. In total, 262 people (students from Ufa) took part in both studies. The first study (Study 1) involved 141 people: 79 males (56%) and 62 females (44%), aged 18 to 24 years (M = 19.86; SD = 1.579). The second study (Study 2) involved 121 people: 32 males (26%) and 89 females (74%), aged 18 to 22 years (M = 19.29; SD = 0.961). The following techniques were used in the study: The Spiritual Personality Inventory by A. Husain and M. Anas (adapted in Russian by G.V. Ozhiganova); Altruistic Attitudes Questionnaire by M.I. Yasin; Satisfaction with Life Scale by E. Diener et al., and Subjective Happiness Scale by S. Lubomirsky (both of the latter techniques were adapted in Russian by E.N. Osin and D.A. Leontiev). Study 1 was aimed at identifying the relationship between indicators of the spiritual and moral qualities of a person and altruistic attitudes. The purpose of Study 2 was to find out a relationship (if any) between indicators of the spiritual and moral qualities of a person and subjective well-being. The research objectives were: (1) to establish the correlation of indicators of the spiritual and moral qualities of a person with altruistic attitudes and subjective well-being; and (2) to reveal the relationship of dif- ferent indicators of the spiritual and moral qualities with indicators of subjective well-being. The results of Study 1 showed a significant positive relationship between the spiritual and moral qualities and altruistic attitudes. Study 2 revealed a significant positive relationship between indicators of the spiritual and moral qualities and subjective well-being as well as with altruistic attitudes.

About the authors

Galina V. Ozhiganova

Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: symposium2016@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6339-8640

PhD in Psychology, Leading Researcher at the Laboratory of Psychology of Abilities and Mental Resources named after V.N. Druzhinin

13 Yaroslavskaya St, Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation

References

  1. Andreev, P.V. (2007). Development of ideas about altruism and mutual assistance in international and Russian psychology. Vestnik of Kostroma State University, 13(3), 9–12. (In Russ.)
  2. Andreoni, J., Rao, J.M., & Trachtman, H. (2017). Avoiding the ask: A field experiment on altruism, empathy, and charitable giving. Journal of Political Economy, 125(3), 625–653. https://doi.org/10.1086/691703
  3. Annas, J. (2015). Applying virtue to ethics. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 32(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/japp.12103
  4. Arrey, A.E., Bilsen, J., Lacor, P., & Deschepper, R. (2016). Spirituality/religiosity: A cultural and psychological resource among Sub-Saharan African migrant women with HIV/AIDS in Belgium. PLOS ONE, 11(7), e0159488. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0159488
  5. Bar-Tal, D. (1986). Altruistic motivation to help: Definition, utility and operationalization. Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, 13(1–2), 3–14.
  6. Batson, C.D., Lishner, D.A., & Stocks, E.L. (2015). The empathy – altruism hypothesis. In D.A. Schroeder & W.G. Graziano (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Prosocial Behavior (pp. 259–281). New York: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195399813.013.023
  7. Bennett, M.R., & Einolf, C.J. (2017). Religion, altruism, and helping strangers: A multilevel analysis of 126 countries. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 56(2), 323–341. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12328
  8. Bożek, A., Nowak, P.F., & Blukacz, M. (2020). The relationship between spirituality, health-related behavior, and psychological well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1997. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01997
  9. Büssing, A., Kerksieck, P., Günther, A., & Baumann, K. (2013). Altruism in adolescents and young adults: Validation of an instrument to measure generative altruism with structural equation modeling. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 18(4), 335–350. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364436x.2013.849661
  10. Cameron, C.D., Spring, V.L., & Todd, A.R. (2017). The empathy impulse: A multinomial model of intentional and unintentional empathy for pain. Emotion, 17(3), 395–411. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000266
  11. Diener, E., Emmons, R.A., Larsen, R.J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13
  12. Dunn, E.W., Aknin, L.B., & Norton, M.I. (2014). Prosocial spending and happiness: Using money to benefit others pays off. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(1), 41–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721413512503
  13. Eisenberg, N., Guthrie, I.K., Murphy, B.C., Shepard, S.A., Cumberland, A., & Carlo, G. (1999). Consistency and development of prosocial dispositions: A longitudinal study. Child Development, 70(6), 1360–1372. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00100
  14. Engel, C. (2011). Dictator games: A meta study. Experimental Economics, 14(4), 583–610. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10683-011-9283-7
  15. Fry, P.S. (2000). Religious involvement, spirituality and personal meaning for life: Existential predictors of psychological wellbeing in community-residing and institutional care elders. Aging & Mental Health, 4(4), 375–387. https://doi.org/10.1080/713649965
  16. Golovei, L.A. (2020). Conclusion. In L.A. Golovei (Ed.), Psycho-Emotional Well-Being: An Integrative Approach (pp. 351–357). St. Petersburg: Nestor-Istoriya Publ. (In Russ.)
  17. Gostev, A.A., & Borisova, N.V. (2012). Psychological ideas in the creative heritage of I.A. Ilyina: On the ways of creating a psychology of the spiritual and moral sphere of human existence. Mоscow: Institute of Psychology of the RAS Publ. (In Russ.)
  18. Haidt, J., & Kesebir, S. (2010). Morality. In S. Fiske, D. Gilbert & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology (5th ed., pp. 797–832). Hobeken: Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119.socpsy002022
  19. Hamlin, J.K. (2013). Moral judgment and action in preverbal infants and toddlers: Evidence for an innate moral core. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22(3), 186–193. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412470687
  20. Hilbig, B.E., Thielmann, I., Hepp, J., Klein, S.A., & Zettler, I. (2015). From personality to altruistic behavior (and back): Evidence from a double-blind dictator game. Journal of Research in Personality, 55, 46–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2014.12.004
  21. Huber, J.T., & MacDonald, D.A. (2012). An investigation of the relations between altruism, empathy, and spirituality. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 52(2), 206–221. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167811399442
  22. Ilin, I.A. (1996). The path of spiritual renewal. Collected works (vol. 1, pp. 39–282). Mоscow: Russkaya Kniga Publ. (In Russ.)
  23. Kazantseva, T.V. (2016). Altruism: The phenomenon and operationalization. Peterburgskij Psihologičeskij Žurnal, (14), 1–20. (In Russ.)
  24. King, P.E., & Boyatzis, C.J. (2015). Religious and spiritual development. In M.E. Lamb & R.M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science: Socioemotional Processes (pp. 975–1021). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118963418.childpsy323
  25. Knutsson, M., Martinsson, P., Persson, E., & Wollbrant, C. (2019). Gender differences in altruism: Evidence from a natural field experiment on matched donations. Economics Letters, 176, 47–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2018.12.029
  26. Koenig, L.B., McGue, M., Krueger, R.F., & Bouchard, T.J., Jr. (2007). Religiousness, antisocial behavior, and altruism: Genetic and environmental mediation. Journal of Personality, 75(2), 265–290. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2007.00439.x
  27. Leontiev, D.A. (2011). Approach through positive personality traits: From psychological well-being to virtues and strengths of character. In D.A. Leontiev (Ed.), Personal Potential: Structure and Diagnostics (pp. 76–91). Moscow: Smysl Publ. (In Russ.)
  28. Leontiev, D.A. (2020). Happiness and well-being: Toward the construction of the conceptual field. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes, (1), 14–37. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2020.1.02
  29. Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H.S. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46(2), 137–155. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006824100041
  30. Mekhtikhanova, N.N. (2020). On the relationship between wisdom and spirituality of an individual. In A.L. Zhuravlev, M.A. Kholodnaya & P.A. Sabadosh (Eds.), Abilities and Mental Resources in the World of Global Change (pp. 938–946). Moscow: Institute of Psychology of the RAS Publ. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.38098/proc.2020.59.34.001
  31. Moura, H.M. de., Filgueiras, A., & Figueiredo, C.V. de. (2020). Translation and content validation of the Generative Altruism Scale – Brazilian version. Psicología, Conocimiento y Sociedad, 10(1), 125–141. https://doi.org/10.26864/pcs.v10.n1.6
  32. Osin, E.N., & Leontiev, D.A. (2020) Brief Russian-language instruments to measure subjective well-being: Psychometric properties and comparative analysis. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes, (1), 117–142. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2020.1.06
  33. Ozhiganova, G.V. (2019). Adaptation of spiritual personality inventory on the Russian sample. Experimental Psychology (Russia), 12(4), 160–176. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2019120413
  34. Ozhiganova, G.V. (2020a). Spiritual personality. Moscow: Institute of Psychology of the RAS Publ. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.38098/mng.2020.60.89.001
  35. Ozhiganova, G.V. (2020b) Personal spiritual-moral qualities and empathy as components of higher moral capacities: Verification of the relationship based on a Russian sample. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, 17(4), 637–655. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-1683-2020-17-4-637-655
  36. Ozhiganova, G.V. (2021a). Spiritual capacities of personality and productive life activity. Psychology. Journal of Higher School of Economics, 18(1), 182–202. https://doi.org/10.17323/1813-8918-2021-1-182-202
  37. Ozhiganova, G.V. (2021b). Value and life meaning aspects of the moral component of spiritual capacities: The relationship in Russian students sample. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, 18(4), 849–868. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-1683-2021-18-4-849-868
  38. Özkan, U.B. (2021). Religiosity/spirituality, affective moral reasoning, and generative altruism: A study on Muslim societies. Psycho-Educational Research Reviews, 10(2), 163–175. https://doi.org/10.52963/PERR_Biruni_V10.N2.11
  39. Pessôa, L.F., Seidl-de-Moura, M.L., Mendes, D.M.L.F., Carvalho, R.V.C. de, & Stobäus, L.C. (2015). Cooperação e altruísmo no segundo ano de vida e crenças e práticas maternas: Um estudo exploratório. Psico, 46(2), 217–225. https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-8623.2015.2.17368
  40. Poddiakov, A.N. (2007). Alter-altruism. Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 4(3), 98–107. (In Russ.)
  41. Ryff, C.D., & Keyes, C.L.M. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(4), 719–727. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.4.719
  42. Saroglou, V. (2013). Religion, spirituality, and altruism. In K.I. Pargament, J.J. Exline & J.W. Jones (Eds.), APA Handbook of Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality (Vol. 1): Context, theory, and research (pp. 439–457). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14045-024
  43. Saroglou, V., Pichon, I., Trompette, L., Verschueren, M., & Dernelle, R. (2005). Prosocial behavior and religion: New evidence based on projective measures and peer ratings. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 44(3), 323–348. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5906.2005.00289.x
  44. Saslow, L.R., John, O.P., Piff, P.K., Willer, R., Wong, E., Impett, E.A., Kogan, A., Antonenko, O., Clark, K., Feinberg, M., Keltner, D., & Saturn, S.R. (2013). The social significance of spirituality: New perspectives on the compassion – altruism relationship. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 5(3), 201–218. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031870
  45. Seelig, B., & Rosof, L. (2009). Altruism. In S. Akhtar (Ed.), Good Feelings: Psychoanalytic Reflections on Positive Emotions and Attitudes (pp. 63–91). London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429475313-5
  46. Sparrow, E.P., Swirsky, L.T., Kudus, F., & Spaniol, J. (2021). Aging and altruism: A meta-analysis. Psychology and Aging, 36(1), 49–56. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000447
  47. Trivers, R.L. (1971). The evolution of reciprocal altruism. The Quarterly Review of Biology, 46(1), 35–57. https://doi.org/10.1086/406755
  48. Villani, D., Sorgente, A., Iannello, P., & Antonietti, A. (2019). The role of spirituality and religiosity in subjective well-being of individuals with different religious status. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1525. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01525
  49. Yasin, M.I. (2020). Methodology for measuring altruistic attitudes. Psikhologicheskii Zhurnal, 41(1), 77–85. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31857/S020595920007898-3
  50. Zhang, K.C., Hui, C.H., Lam, J., Lau, E.Y.Y., Cheung, S., & Mok, D.S.Y. (2013). Personal spiritual values and quality of life: Evidence from Chinese college students. Journal of Religion and Health, 53(4), 986–1002. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-013-9686-1
  51. Zotova, O.Yu., Rikel A.M., & Tuniyants A.A. (2017). Situational and personal factors of subjective well-being of students. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin. Series Psychology, Pedagogics, Education, (4), 118–136. (In Russ.)

Copyright (c) 2022 Ozhiganova G.V.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

This website uses cookies

You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.

About Cookies