Christianity or Superstition? Effects on Locus of Control and Well-Being.

Various studies have related superstition to religion, describing the two terms synonymously. However, religion is a highly variable construct which must be measured more discriminately. In this study, superstition was examined in relation to God Concepts, locus of control, and Spiritual Well-Being. Results obtained from 151 Christian undergraduates revealed that people who are more superstitious did not related to God imagery and tended to belong to the Extrinsic-Social, Extrinsic-Personal and Quest motivations. They also tended to place their locus of control in God and not in luck, and had greater Religious, Existential, and Spiritual Well-Being overall. Results indicate that religion and superstition cannot be used as synonymous terms. Specifically, Intrinsically committed Christians were found to not be superstitious at all. (Contains 37 references and 5 tables.) (Author)