Addressing social dominance and religious orientation for the interplay between aggression and prejudices on quality of life and psychological distress

Abstract

Present research was des igned to study the predicat ive role of Religious Orientat ion and Social Dominance Orientation in prejudice anitude towards opposite groups (out-group) of gender and religious sects. Parental prejudice on the development of gender and religious prejudice in adolescent were also investigated. Additionall y, effect of prejudice att itude experience on psychosocial health were also examined. Multi-informant approach was used for data collection. A sample of 318 including adolescent with age range 12-18 years and one of their parents were approached through convenient sampling. Data was collected on Gorsuch and Me Pherson (1989) Age Universal Religious Orientation Scale, Buss and Perry (1992), Aggression Scale Sidanius and Pratto (2013), Short version of Social Dominance Orientation Scale, Ansari (1982) Urdu Adjective Checklist (UACL), World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-BRIEF (1996), Lovibond and lovibond ( 1995) Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (OASS-21). Analysis was conducted on IBM SPSS 21 and AMOS 21. Analysis showed thai prejudices are transmitted across generation particularly sect related, positive stereotypes 03= .41 , p<.O 1) Model testing analys is showed that positive stereotypes are less hannful for psychosocial health of adolescent than negative stereotypes. Path diagram for adolescent 8nitude towards opposite gender showed there is direct effect of Intrin sic Religious Orientation (P= -. 19, p< .01) and Aggression 03=.54. p<.O I) on Psychological Distress. There is also indirect effect of Intrinsic Religious Orientat ion on Psychological Distress (p=-.02, p<.Ol) and indirect effect of Aggression on Psychological Distress (p=.06, p<.O I). The model explained 44% of the variance in Psychological Distress. Path diagram for adolescent attitude towards opposite sect showed that there is indirect effect of Intrinsic Religious Orientation on Quality of Life through Positive Attitude towards Opposite Group (P= .03, p<.O l) and direct effect on Positive Attitude towards Opposite Group (P= -.13, p<.O I). Model explained 41 % of the variance in Psychological Distress. Path diagram for parents attitude towards opposite gender showed that Extrinsic Religious Orientation positively and directly affect Quality of Life (p=.11 , p<.OI). Social Dominance directly and positivity effect Psychological Distress (p=.09, p<.OI). Intrin sic Religious Orientation directly and negatively affect Psychological Distress (P= -.21, p<.O 1). Aggression directly effect Psychological Distress (p= .60, p<.O 1) and also directly affect Negative Attitude towards Opposite Group (P= .16, p<.O I). Model explained 41 % of the variance in Psychological Distress Path diagram for parents attitude towards opposi te vii sect indicates that there is direct and indirect but negative effect of Intrinsic Orientation on Psychological Distress (P= -.21, p<.OI). This model explained 44% of the variance in Psychological Distress. Extrinsic Religious Orientation have positive and direct effect on Quality of Life (p=. l l, p<.Ol). As predicted that there is feedback loop between Prejudice and Aggression. Results revealed that there is a feedback loop but Aggression effect Prejudice great ly than prejudice effect Aggression. The results showed that parents reported more Prejudice for opposite gender and sect than adolescent. The findings of this study will have implications in designing intervention programs to reduced prejud ice attitude among adolescent.