Religious identity: Individual or social? Exploring the components and consequences of religious identity

Social psychology has not extended its study of identity to adequately include religious identity, despite the importance of this identity for so many people. In particular we do not know how religious identity fits into the social identity theory framework. This research identifies and measures the social and individual components of religious identity, and examines their impact. Study 1 used factor analysis to identify two identity components of religious identity -- individual faith identity and religious group identity, and two external uses of religion -- personal benefits and social benefits of religion. The four components relate to other facets of religiosity and the self meaningfully and consistently providing substantial convergent and divergent confirmation. In particular, correlations suggested that both types of religious identity but neither type of benefits of religion are central and internalized values. Study 2 generally replicated the four-factor religious identity structure using a diverse online sample. In addition, significant differences in individual faith identity were found across religious groups with Christians scoring highest and Jews lowest. Religious group identity and benefits of religion did not differ across groups. Study 3 manipulated the salience of the social / individual aspects of religious identity and found that under social (but not individual) religious prime conditions participants showed increased religious outgroup derogation, although this was attenuated by social benefits of religion. Therefore, the typical finding that enhanced social identities result in intergroup bias extends also to social, but not individual, religious identity. Study 4 explored the nature of religious identity goals and the emotions and behaviors associated with goal attainment failures. Religious identity goals are construed as both aspirations and responsibilities, but more strongly as responsibilities. Failure to reach these goals produces diverse aspiration and responsibility related emotions which mediated the relationship between goal construal and intention to change goal-related behaviors. These findings contribute to the sparse literature concerning religious identity by suggesting that it is, perhaps uniquely, a social and an individual identity, and that the ways in which one experiences it has interpersonal consequences. Future research should be careful to consider simultaneously both religious identity's individual and social components.