The Effects of Prayer and Prayer Experiences on Measures of General Weil-Being

Abstract

Although some 90% of all Americans claim to pray, a review of social science literature will reveal that researchers have shown little interest in the topic. The 1985 Akron Area Survey which focused on religiosity and subjective perceptions of well-being included items measuring the frequency of prayer, prayer experiences, and different forms of prayer, together with more standard measures of religiosity. The results demonstrate significant relationships between the varying measures of prayer and the different well-being measures included in this survey. A factor analysis of 15 prayer activity items identified four types of prayer which relate differently to the well-being measures. Prayer, like its parent concept religiosity, is clearly multidimensional and contributes to a profiling of well-being.