Religiosity, Impulsivity, and Compulsivity in University Students

BACKGROUND: Prior research suggests that religiosity may be associated with higher levels of mental health in certain domains (e.g. self-esteem, rates of substance use problems). However, very little is known about religiosity and impulsive plus compulsive tendencies. This study examined associations between religiosity and impulsive and compulsive behaviors and traits among university students. METHODS: 9,449 students received a 156-item anonymous online survey which assessed religiosity, alcohol and drug use, mental health issues, and impulsive and compulsive traits. Two groups of interest were defined: those with high religiosity, and those with low religiosity, based on z-scores. The two groups were compared on the measures of interest. RESULTS: 3,572 university students (57.1% female) responded to the survey. Those with high levels of organizational religious activity (ORA), as well as those with high levels of intrinsic or subjective religiosity (IR) differed from their fellow students in having better self-esteem, being less likely to have alcohol or drug problems, and generally being less impulsive in terms of attention and planning. These associations were of small effect size except for the link between religiosity and lower impulsivity, which was of medium effect size. CONCLUSION: This study shows a link between higher religiosity and lower impulsivity, as well as higher levels of mental health across several domains. Whether these associations are causal – and if so, the direction of such causality – requires rigorous longitudinal research.