Personality Variables as Predictors of Attitudes toward Science and Religion

Abstract

114 13-yr.-old girls and 91 13-yr.-old boys, all from British public schools (public in the American sense, i.e., not private) were given Cattell's High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ), the Science Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) and the Religious Attitude Scale (RAS). Regression analyses were performed to assess the degree of prediction of attitudes toward science and religion from personality variables. Results indicated that while the personality measures were relatively poor predictors of religious attitudes, they did account for a significant amount of variance in the attitude toward science scores. Specifically, “interest in science” scores were related to the personality variables Q2 (Self-sufficiency), C (Ego strength or emotional stability), and B (Intelligence). Personality variables which significantly predicted attitudes toward “social implications of science,” “learning activities,” “science teachers,” and “liking for school” are also reported.