Ruth Powell

Work-related psychological health among clergywomen in Australia

Drawing on the classic model of balanced affect, the Francis Burnout Inventory conceptualises good work-related psychological health among clergy in terms of negative affect being balanced by positive affect. This paper sets out to explore the relationship between work-related psychological health and psychological type (as assessed by the Francis Psychological-Type Scales) among a sample of 212 Australian clergywomen who completed the National Church Life Survey Form L in 2006. The data supported the internal consistency reliability of the Francis Burnout Inventory and Francis Psychological-Type Scales and found that work-related psychological health was positively related to extraversion and sensing.

Methodological overview of the study of well-being through the Australian National Church Life Survey

All papers in this special edition of Mental Health, Religion & Culture utilise data sets from the 2011 round of the Australian National Church Life Survey (NCLS). This paper presents a methodological overview of the NCLS, including data collection methods, survey instruments and demographic descriptions of church attender and leader data sets. The data sets have good national coverage and denominational diversity, although Pentecostals are under-represented. The data sets may be further affected by self-selection by participating churches; however, the content of the surveys is unlikely to have triggered self-selection biases at the level of individuals. The paper also provides details concerning the measurement of quality of life in the present collection, concentrating on the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) which is featured in four of the five empirical papers. Mean PWI scores for churchgoers and leaders were similar to the Australian populace at large, although there was greater variability among churchgoers. The domain of spirituality/religion makes a significant contribution to well-being in these Australian Christian sub-populations.

Congregational bonding social capital and psychological type : an empirical enquiry among Australian churchgoers

This study explores the variation in levels of bonding social capital experienced by individual churchgoers, drawing on data generated by the Australian National Church Life Survey, and employing a five-item measure of church-related bonding social capital. Data provided by 2065 Australian churchgoers are used to test the thesis that individual differences in bonding social capital are related to a psychological model of psychological types (employing the Jungian distinctions). The data demonstrated that higher levels of bonding social capital were found among extraverts (compared with introverts), among intuitive types (compared with sensing types) and among feeling types (compared with thinking types), but no significant differences were found between judging types and perceiving types.

The psychological-type profile of lay church leaders in Australia

A sample of 845 lay church leaders (444 women and 401 men) from a range of 24 different denominations and movements (including house churches and independent churches) completed the Francis Psychological-Type Scales within the context of the 2006 Australian National Church Life Survey. The psychological-type profiles of these lay church leaders were almost identical to the type profiles of 1527 Australian churchgoers (936 women and 591 men) published in an earlier study by Robbins and Francis. The predominant types among female lay church leaders were ISFJ (21%), ESFJ (21%), and ISTJ (18%). The predominant types among male lay church leaders were ISTJ (28%), ISFJ (17%), ESTJ (13%), and ESFJ (12%). The SJ temperament accounted for 67% of the female lay church leaders and for 70% of the male lay church leaders. The strengths and weaknesses of the SJ leadership style are discussed.

Subjective well-being, religious involvement, and psychological type among Australian churchgoers

Personality and religiosity have consistently been found to be related to subjective well-being. However, the relative impact of these factors has not been clear. This quantitative study of 1855 church attenders from 20 denominations in the 2011 Australian National Church Life Survey found that their psychological type profile confirmed patterns found in other church-going populations, with high proportions of introverts, sensing types, feeling types, and judging types. Results also showed that positive relationships were found between extraversion and well-being, but not for the predominant psychological types (sensing and judging). Religiousness and well-being were also positively related; however, denominational affiliation made no difference. In terms of the relative contribution of psychological type and religiosity to well-being, the results confirmed that both made a similar unique and significant contribution. It was concluded that both factors should be taken into account.

Psychological type profile of Protestant church leaders in Australia: are clergymen and clergywomen different?

A sample of 120 clergywomen and 436 clergymen from Protestant denominations in Australia participated in the 2011 National Church Life Survey completing form LS2 that included the Francis Psychological Type Scales, an operationalisation of psychological type theory. The type profiles of the clergymen and clergywomen are compared, and demonstrate only one difference, clergywomen are significantly more likely to report a feeling preference than clergymen but the difference is not strong. The type profiles of the clergy are compared to the Australian population norms and, in the case of both men and women, found to be different. The personality profiles of clergymen and clergywomen have more in common based on being clergy, rather than being either male or female. The implications of these findings for the ministry and mission of Protestant denominations in Australia are discussed.

Bonding and bridging among first generation Asian migrants in Australian protestant churches

ABSTRACT Around a third of Asian migrants to Australia self-identify as Christians, and many join churches where they meet fellow migrants and other Australians. Churches might thus be places that can foster the integration of Asian migrants into Australian society. This paper uses social network and social capital theory to examine the prevalence of bonding and bridging among 61,386 churchgoers from 2135 Protestant churches who completed the Australian National Church Life Survey in 2011. We compared levels of bonding and bridging social ties of first-generation Asian migrants (FGAM) with Australians born of Australian-born parents (ABOAP). FGAM joining congregations had fewer social ties than ABOAP, and developed bridging (but not bonding) more slowly. FGAM had lower bonding but higher bridging in MonoAnglo congregations compared with Multicultural or MonoAsian congregations. The results suggest that FGAM who are in MonoAnglo churches may be less tightly bound to their congregation, but more likely to bridge beyond it, than are FGAM in multicultural or largely Asian congregations.

The psychological type profile of Christians participating in fellowship groups or in small study groups: insights from the Australian National Church Life Survey

The Australian National Church Life Survey draws on psychological type theory to facilitate insights into the connection between individual psychological profiles and preferences for different religious expressions. Drawing on data provided by 2355 participants in the 2006 congregation survey, this analysis profiles those members of church congregations who are drawn to participation in small prayer, discussion or Bible study groups, or to participation in fellowship and social groups. The key findings are that extraverts and feeling types are over-represented in the fellowship and social groups and that intuitive types are over-represented in small prayer, discussion or Bible study groups.

Assessing peer and parental influence on the religious attitudes and attendance of young churchgoers: exploring the Australian National Church Life Survey

Abstract Drawing on data from the 2011 Australian National Church Life Survey (NCLS), this study was designed to assess peer and parental influence on frequency of church attendance, attitude toward church, and attitude toward Christianity among a sample of 6256 young churchgoers between the ages of eight and 14 years, attending a range of denominations, including Catholic, Anglican, Uniting, Pentecostal, and other Protestant Churches. The data indicated the power of parental example on frequency of church attendance. Frequent attendance among young churchgoers occurred when both parents attend as well. Parental influence worked differently on shaping attitude toward church. The most positive attitude was found among young churchgoers who had the opportunity to talk about God with their parents and who did not feel that their parents made them go to church. Young churchgoers responded to parental encouragement better than to parental pressure. Although peer influence within the church did not make much contribution to frequency of attendance, it made a contribution to shaping positive attitude toward church.

Religious experience and religious motivation among Catholic and mainstream protestant churchgoers in Australia: Testing and applying five short measures

ABSTRACT The present study draws on two sets of theories developed within the psychology of religion (concerning religious experience and religious motivation) to test three six-item measures of religious orientation (intrinsic, extrinsic, and quest) and to develop two seven-item measures of religious experience (mystical and charismatic) among Catholic (Nu2009=u2009626) and Mainstream Protestant (Nu2009=u2009505) churchgoers participating in the 2011 Australian National Church Life Survey. The data demonstrated satisfactory levels of internal consistency reliability for all five scales. The mean scale scores revealed higher levels of intrinsic religiosity among Mainstream Protestants and higher levels of extrinsic religiosity among Catholics; but little variation between the two groups in terms of quest religious orientation, mystical orientation, or charismatic orientation.