The Role of Religious Orientation in Worldview Conflict

ABSTRACT Worldview conflict is a regular part of life. We typically encounter information that disagrees with or disconfirms the way we understand and make sense of the world. People usually respond negatively to such experiences; however, do responses depend, in part, on people’s individual religious beliefs or orientations? We tested whether religious orientation (i.e., intrinsic, quest, religious fundamentalism) and religious involvement moderated the effects of worldview disagreement. Employing an experience sampling design, participants (N = 328) from three institutions across two countries completed responses five times per day for three days. They indicated whether or not they had experienced any religious or political worldview disagreement and completed indicators of their emotional responses, well-being, and humanity-esteem. Results indicated that across most indicators, religious orientation does not moderate the effects of worldview disagreement. Rather, regardless of religious orientation, people responded similarly. We discuss implications and suggestions for future research.