Religiousness and the HEXACO personality factors and facets in a large online sample

Abstract

Objective: To examine the associations of religiousness with personality characteristics. Method: We obtained self-ratings of religiousness along with self-reports on the HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised in a sample of nearly 200,000 online respondents. Respondents also indicated their religious affiliation, religiousness of upbringing, and political orientation; a subset of the respondents also indicated attitudes about immigration and foreign aid. Results: Religiousness showed weak associations (|r|s < 0.15) with several HEXACO factors but somewhat stronger associations with the Fairness and Altruism facets (both rs > 0.20). On those facets, participants with the highest religiousness self-rating (7 on a 1-to-7 scale) averaged about 1 SD higher than did participants with the lowest religiousness self-rating. In addition, religiousness was negatively related to the Unconventionality facet among persons whose upbringing was very religious, but not among persons whose upbringing was very nonreligious. Religiousness/personality associations were generally quite similar within different religious affiliations (Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and several branches of Christianity) but were stronger within relatively religious countries than within nonreligious countries. Despite the positive association of religiousness with the Altruism facet, religiousness was uncorrelated with pro-out-group attitudes (i.e., favoring multicultural immigration and foreign aid). Total (N = 195,279) Religion Total (N = 139,640) Hindu (N = 4,450) Muslim (N = 6,956) Jewish (N = 3,224) Buddhist (N = 3,658)

Sex differences in HEXACO personality characteristics across countries and ethnicities

“…In contrast, sex differences in the HEXACO facet scales have not been of primary focus in previous studies. In light of previous results showing the importance of the specific variance carried by facet‐level constructs (e.g., Ashton & Lee, 2019; Ashton, Paunonen, & Lee, 2014; Lee, Ashton, Griep, & Edmonds, 2018), the pattern of sex differences in facet‐level constructs may not precisely mirror that of the factor domain to which they belong. As such, in the present research, we report for each culture the sex differences in both factor‐ and facet‐level scales of the HEXACO‐100.…”

Objections to the HEXACO Model of Personality Structure—and why those Objections Fail

“…Depending on the outcome variable and the facet‐level traits that seem most relevant conceptually, you might be better off not measuring any broad personality dimensions at all, and just using those particular facets—even if they're not part of the HEXACO‐PI‐R. And for some research questions, the facets provide a lot of interesting detail not captured by the broad factors, as we've recently seen in our own studies of age differences in personality (Ashton & Lee, ), of political orientation and personality (Lee, Ashton, Griep, & Edmonds, ), and of religiousness and personality (Ashton & Lee, ). Going even further, items themselves—as representatives of what Mõttus, Kandler, Bleidorn, Riemann, and McCrae () call ‘nuances’—will often provide even more detail and predictive accuracy.…”

The Well-Being Benefits of Person-Culture Match Are Contingent on Basic Personality Traits

“…Third, we expected basic personality traits (Big Two and Big Five) to moderate the person-culture match effect because those basic traits elicit motives to assimilate to and contrast from ambient norms (Big Two: Gebauer, Leary, & Neberich, 2012 ; Gebauer et al, 2013 ; Gebauer, Sedikides, et al, 2014 ; Big Five: Ashton & Lee, 2019 ; Entringer et al, in press ; Gebauer, Bleidorn, et al, 2014 ). Yet empirical research is scarce on why basic personality traits elicit assimilation and contrast motives.…”

“…Achieving personal strivings increases well-being (Emmons, 1986), so people high in agreeableness and conscientiousness in particular should benefit from person-culture match. Openness to experience motivates contrast from sociocultural norms and, thus, should elicit strivings for low person-culture match (Ashton & Lee, 2019; Entringer et al, in press; Gebauer, Bleidorn, et al, 2014). Failing to achieve personal strivings decreases well-being (Emmons, 1986), so people high in openness to experience in particular should benefit little from person-culture match (but they may still benefit somewhat because they, too, should benefit from consequences that apply to everyone, such as higher social support).…”

“…Regarding the Big Five, agreeableness and conscientiousness motivate assimilation to sociocultural norms (Ashton & Lee, 2019; Entringer et al, in press; Gebauer, Bleidorn, et al, 2014) and, thus, should elicit strivings for high person-culture match. Achieving personal strivings increases well-being (Emmons, 1986), so people high in agreeableness and conscientiousness in particular should benefit from person-culture match.…”