Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Prosperity gospel beliefs (PGB) assert God wants believers to prosper on earth and will reward the faithful with health and financial success. Wilkinson and Biondolillo (2021) developed the Prosperity Gospel Belief Scale, finding relationships with religiosity, prayer, attachment to God, materialism, greed, and entitlement. This study examines whether PGB and stress interact to increase religious doubts (RD) and decrease psychological well-being (PWB), measured by life satisfaction (LS), positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA). Participants were recruited from psychology courses and completed study questionnaires using an online platform, with all procedures approved by the Lipscomb University IRB. Seventy-nine participants (Mage = 19.51; 74.7% female; 100% Christian) completed all measures. ANOVAs were conducted using RD, LS, PA, and NA as dependent variables and PGB and stress as independent variables. The ANOVA for RD was significant (F(3, 75) = 4.88, R2 = 0.16), with main effects for stress (F(1, 75) = 9.30) and PGB (F(1, 75) = 5.95), but no interaction. The ANOVA for LS was significant (F(3, 75) = 5.01, R2 = 0.17), with main effects for stress (F(1, 75) = 4.57) and PGB (F(1, 75) = 8.80), and a significant interaction (F(1, 75) = 3.43). The ANOVA for PA was significant (F(3, 75) = 3.24, R2 = 0.12), with a significant interaction (F(1, 75) = 6.32), but no significant main effects. The ANOVA for NA was not significant. These findings partially confirm the study hypotheses, particularly for LS and PA.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Jonathan P. Miller
Recommended Citation
Stork, Ellie; Henry, Grace; Wills, Haley Rose; Jernigan, Joanna; Smith, Peyton; Magar, Josephine; Russell, Rachel; and Miller, Jonathan, "Prosperity Gospel Orientation Interacts with Life Stress to Impact Religious Doubt and Psychological Well-being" (2025). Student Scholar Symposium. 66.
https://digitalcollections.lipscomb.edu/student_scholars_symposium/2025/Full_schedule/66
Included in
Prosperity Gospel Orientation Interacts with Life Stress to Impact Religious Doubt and Psychological Well-being
Prosperity gospel beliefs (PGB) assert God wants believers to prosper on earth and will reward the faithful with health and financial success. Wilkinson and Biondolillo (2021) developed the Prosperity Gospel Belief Scale, finding relationships with religiosity, prayer, attachment to God, materialism, greed, and entitlement. This study examines whether PGB and stress interact to increase religious doubts (RD) and decrease psychological well-being (PWB), measured by life satisfaction (LS), positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA). Participants were recruited from psychology courses and completed study questionnaires using an online platform, with all procedures approved by the Lipscomb University IRB. Seventy-nine participants (Mage = 19.51; 74.7% female; 100% Christian) completed all measures. ANOVAs were conducted using RD, LS, PA, and NA as dependent variables and PGB and stress as independent variables. The ANOVA for RD was significant (F(3, 75) = 4.88, R2 = 0.16), with main effects for stress (F(1, 75) = 9.30) and PGB (F(1, 75) = 5.95), but no interaction. The ANOVA for LS was significant (F(3, 75) = 5.01, R2 = 0.17), with main effects for stress (F(1, 75) = 4.57) and PGB (F(1, 75) = 8.80), and a significant interaction (F(1, 75) = 3.43). The ANOVA for PA was significant (F(3, 75) = 3.24, R2 = 0.12), with a significant interaction (F(1, 75) = 6.32), but no significant main effects. The ANOVA for NA was not significant. These findings partially confirm the study hypotheses, particularly for LS and PA.