Personal Spirituality as a Moderator of the Relationship between Stressors and Subjective Well-Being

Abstract

The present study examined the impact that a personal, integrated spirituality has on well-being and its role in moderating the effects of stressors (both significant life events and hassles) on well-being among a sample of 120 undergraduates at a private religiously affiliated college. The hypotheses were as follows: First, stressors would have a negative impact on subjective well-being (SWB), which consists of satisfaction with life (SWL) and affective well-being (AWB); second, personal spirituality would positively predict SWB independently of stressors; and third, personal spirituality would moderate the relationship between stressors and SWB. Results showed that stressors predicted both dimensions of SWB and that personal spirituality significantly added to the prediction of SWL. Personal spirituality was also found to moderate the relationship between stressors and life satisfaction, accounting for a small yet significant portion of the variance. Personal spirituality is conceptualized as a useful resource among undergraduates for maintaining life satisfaction in the face of stressors. Questions are raised regarding the underlying mechanisms of the observed effects.