Philosophical Positions of Nuns and Former Nuns: A Discriminant Analysis

Abstract

To a sample of 24 Sisters and 28 former Sisters was administered the Ames Philosophical Belief Inventory, and a discriminant-function was calculated along with the Generalized Mahalanobis D2. The statistically significant discriminant-function suggests the Ames inventory can be employed as a screening device when selecting members of a religious community and also as a point of departure in the discussion of the implications of the decision to stay or to leave a religious order.