PERSONALITY-STRUCTURAL CORRELATES OF COGNITIVE ORIENTATION TO SPIRITUALITY

On the basis of existing notions regarding the personality-religiosity relationship, and using the ESI scales and the NEO PI-R inventory, we investigated, on a sample of 116 persons (mean age 22 years) of a low, average and high cognitive orientation to spirituality, how they differ in self-rating of personality. We found that this orientation is positively associated with warmth from Extraversion, with Openness towards experience, and the majority of facets of Agreeableness. The discussion bears on the functions of gender differences in personality in the relation between personality traits and spirituality, as also on the relation between spirituality and mental health.