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    Religious belief, schizotypy and abnormal thinking : the inter-relationships : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2001) Harvey, Bridget Jane
    This study examined the relationship between religious beliefs, schizotypy and abnormal thinking with a view to clarifying some of the discrepancies in the literature. There were 136 women and 57 men, from Massey University who took part in the study. The mean age was 22 years and respondents completed a demographic questionnaire and three questionnaires that measured religious beliefs (Maltby's 1999 Age-Universal I-E Scale), schizotypy (Claridge & Brok's STA schizotypy personality scale) and abnormal thinking (Morris and Johnson's CEQ scale). The results indicate that there is a relationship between the three constructs however this was not gender specific as anticipated or related to religious affiliation. Further research is recommended as religious beliefs can be an enormous part of some peoples' lives and this is an area that could be greatly influential in the therapeutic arena for individuals with either religious difficulties and/or psychological difficulties where religion may be presented as problematic.
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    The Holy Trinity : religion, well-being, and purpose in life : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Psychology), Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2014) Montgomery, Gerard Robert
    Almost exclusively, literature that concerns itself with the psychology of religion and health holds the orthodox position of the existence of a positive (albeit small) relationship between religion and psychological well-being. Put simply, the literature supports the hypothesis that individuals who are religious have a greater level of well-being than those who are not. Methodologically, there are a number of issues with this research. The most important of which are the failure to include a sample of non-religious individuals in the studies and the attribution, to religion, of effects on well-being that occur via indirect secular pathways. This study explores the hypothesis that because religious beliefs are only special, unique and peculiar in relation to their central tenet, the belief in supernatural agency, and that because any behaviours associated with them are also available to non- religious individuals in some secular form or other, there is no rationale for any empirical relationship, no matter how small, between an individual’s religiosity and their well-being. Rather, as suggested elsewhere in the literature, well-being is better explained by other factors that individuals, including those who are religious, may be able to access. The factors of particular interest to this study are the presence of meaning in a person’s life, and a theorised facet of meaning – purpose. Accordingly, the design of this research is that of ‘value