Religious orientation, low self-control, and deviance: Muslims, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox-, and “Bible Belt” Christians

Using adolescent samples from four cultures, the current study tested whether effects by religiosity on deviance varied by the nature of religiosity (intrinsic versus extrinsic) and by the cultural context (Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, and the U.S.). Results indicated: a) that not every type of religiosity has a buffering effect on deviance – if one’s religiousness is predominately instrumental (i.e. extrinsic), then its inhibiting effect is weak or does not exist; b) that the effect of intrinsic religiosity seemed more pronounced in the two surroundings that expressed the highest mean religiosity (U.S., Bosnia & Herzegovina) although results from follow-up analysis (Z-tests) largely supported a cultural invariance hypothesis. In addition, the intrinsic religiosity–deviance link was moderated by low self-control in each sample, except the Slovenian one. Finally, results indicated that low self-control only partially mediated the religiosity–deviance link.