The Role of Intrinsic versus Extrinsic-Social Religious Orientation in Dealing with  Identity Threat as a Function of In-Group Identification among Muslims: Implications for Emotions and Action Intentions

Threats to Muslim identification are common (Wellman & Tokuno, 2004). Religious identity threats target the individual or group, but also attack the revered system of beliefs on which the identity is founded (Ysseldyk, Matheson, & Anisman, 2010; 2011). Hence, a fundamental coping resource (i.e., religious beliefs) might be undermined and negative consequences for emotions might ensue. The present study that used a survey design and examined 59 Muslims investigated religious identity or religiosity in understanding how a religious identity threat is dealt with by Muslims forming a religious minority. Intrinsic (religious belief) vs extrinsic-social (social aspects of religious identity) religious orientations underlying religious identity were hypothesized to differentially predict threat appraisal, emotion vs problem oriented coping and negative emotions. Results show an intrinsic orientation to predict emotion-focused coping and intense negative emotions. An extrinsic orientation...Show moreThreats to Muslim identification are common (Wellman & Tokuno, 2004). Religious identity threats target the individual or group, but also attack the revered system of beliefs on which the identity is founded (Ysseldyk, Matheson, & Anisman, 2010; 2011). Hence, a fundamental coping resource (i.e., religious beliefs) might be undermined and negative consequences for emotions might ensue. The present study that used a survey design and examined 59 Muslims investigated religious identity or religiosity in understanding how a religious identity threat is dealt with by Muslims forming a religious minority. Intrinsic (religious belief) vs extrinsic-social (social aspects of religious identity) religious orientations underlying religious identity were hypothesized to differentially predict threat appraisal, emotion vs problem oriented coping and negative emotions. Results show an intrinsic orientation to predict emotion-focused coping and intense negative emotions. An extrinsic orientation relates to problem-focused coping and less intense negative emotions. To conclude, especially in the context of intrinsic religiosity, a strong impact of identity threat is linked to a heightened focus on as well as experience of negative emotions. These findings point to importance of considering particularly intrinsic identification in regard to its wider ‘construction’, to improve the understanding of religious identification (in religious minorities) in the context of recurrent negative evaluation.Show less

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The Role of Intrinsic versus Extrinsic-Social Religious Orientation in Dealing with Identity Threat as a Function of In-Group Identification among Muslims: Implications for Emotions and Action Intentions