Verus Felicitas Sanctitus: Finding the Linear Association of Spirituality and Religiosity to Subjective Well-Being in a Seminary Context

Abstract

Considering that religion up until this day still affects most people across societies and culture and that happiness and satisfaction is still the primary end of most people in their lives, these had led this study to investigate the possible associational, directional, and perhaps, causational relationship existing between these two. Specifically the domains are the following: (1) religiosity or the search for the sacred through rituals or prescribed behaviors, (2) spirituality or the more personal search for the sacred which would not always involve any supreme being, and (3) subjective well being or the current emotional state of the person and how he feels about his world and himself, this is composed of two dimensions: Happiness (affective) and Satisfaction with Life (cognitive). Currently, studies on these domains are still a handful due primarily to the researchers and scientists avoidance in exploring these areas due to its complicated natures. Nonetheless, this study is very much challenged and ecstatic to close the gap of knowledge in these areas of inquiry. For this study, the researcher had used quantitative and qualitative thrusts so as to attain a more holistic and acceptable generalizations and conclusions. A homogenous population of college seminarians was used as the source population because homogenous populations eliminate confounding variables that would otherwise affect any genuine results. Purposive sampling was used so as to avoid coach responses should the authorities of such institutions decide to interfere. A survey questionnaire composed of various scales measuring different variables was the instrument used for the quantitative approach. The survey had also served as the springboard where recruits for the in-depth interview was picked. A derived open-ended questionnaire was used as the instrument for the Key Informant Interview as part of the qualitative approach. A total of sixteen (16) college seminarians had participated for the general survey of the quantitative thrust, while five (5) from these 16 was employed for the in-depth interview for the qualitative thrust. Their responses were encoded and transcribed. Descriptive statistics as well as correlational analysis was utilized to summarize and analyze the quantitative data, while the salient themes from the narratives of the interviewed cases was summarized and analyzed for the qualitative data. All the results are then backed by the theories and the literature for confirmation or negation. Results from the quantitative data had yielded some evidences pertaining to some concerns but generally if failed to ascertain the main objective, this partly was due to the small number of population that were employed for the survey. Nonetheless, the qualitative data had taken up the slack and had fill the void the quantitative data failed to deliver. From the results attained, this study concludes there is an association existing between spirituality and religiosity over the subjective well-being. In terms of direction they share a linear relationship, meaning an increase in religiosity and spirituality equated to an increase in the subjective well-being. This association is better proven and the impact of religiosity and spirituality is seen more visibly with the presence of the intermediating variable cunent situational factors (problems). Interesting conclusions to also note are the following: (1) people generally judge their happiness based on their attitudes and personal perceptions in life, (2) religiosity better predicts subjective well-being, (3) when people are faced with difficult challenges in life, they more likely become spiritual than religious and lastly (4) happiness is not intentionally desired by individuals but rather spurns from the achievement of certain goals. This study recommends: further studies on the subjects spirituality, religiosity and subjective well-being; to focus more on the specific dimensions of these domains (e.g. organizational religiosity, optimism) and work from bottom to top in making conclusions; to use stringent instruments; identify other intermediating variables; and lastly, observe the identified relationship on other contexts and populations.