Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Sonya Britt / The purpose of this research study was to investigate the determinants that explain and predict Christian’s intentions to make lifetime gifts to charities. The research was guided by the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991) utilizing an expanded model that anticipated Christians who have (a) a favorable attitude toward giving, (b) a perceived pressure from social norms, (c) high levels of perceived behavioral control in their ability to make gifts, (d) a positive moral responsibility toward charitable giving, (e) a history of charitable giving, and (f) a faith based spiritual desire to pursue the Christian way of life would be more inclined to have giving intentions. Survey data were obtained through two pilot studies and a main study (N = 250). The pilot study participants were recruited through the researcher’s social network. The main study participants were enlisted through a contract with Qualtrics, an online survey organization that maintains panels of likely research subjects. Hierarchical linear regression identified support for traditional and expanded models of the theory of planned behavior. In the traditional model, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, all predicted donative intent. In the expanded model, not moral norms, past behavior, and the Christian way of life predicted donating intentions; however, perceived behavioral control a significant predictor in the traditional model, did not predict donative intent. The traditional theory of planned behavior accounted for 65%, and expanded predictors added 11% to the explanation of intention to donate to non-profit organizations in the coming year. The current research has both theoretical and applied implications. Consistent with Fishbein and Ajzen’s (2010) encouragement to improve the traditional model, the expanded model enhanced the predictive ability of the theory of planned behavior with a new determinant, the Christian way of life. The current research also reaffirms the predictive ability of the previously tested factor past behavior and not moral norms. Non-profit organizations may apply these findings by targeting the salient beliefs that are foundational to all predictors of intentions. The current research has identified beliefs associated with attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control, moral norms, past behavior, and the Christian way of life that offer non-profit organizations educational opportunities to intervene with donors to improve charitable behavior.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / South Africans live in one of the most religious yet most violent societies the world over, with gender-based violence (GBV) against women in intimate relationships flagged as a national priority. Traditionally, and rightfully so, intervention programmes focused on women victim-survivors of intimate partner abuse (IPA). While intervention programmes for men who perpetrate IPA emerged more recently and signify an important paradigm shift in conceptualizing solutions to IPA, the literature reveals a gap in research about the role and influence of religiously pervasive contexts in communities where some of these programmes operate. South Africa claims to be a secular state; however, around 90% of its population are religious and close to 74% are affiliated with the Christian faith. Literature indicates that men who perpetrate IPA often use easily misinterpreted scriptures and religious teachings to justify their abusive behaviour.

Religious beliefs and practices are an important source of symptom relief for individuals with schizophrenia; however, it can also be a debilitating source of symptom exacerbation. This quantitative study examined the cognitions and religious life orientations of Christian individuals both with and without a diagnosis of schizophrenia, as measured by the Rust Inventory of Schizotypal Cognitions (RISC) and the Religious Life Inventory (RLI) to examine a baseline for healthy religious cognitions. The aberrant-salience and attribution theories were used to explore the relationship between psychotic stimuli and religious attributions. One hundred and thirty Christian individuals from an outpatient mental health facility, both with and without a diagnosis of schizophrenia completed the RISC and the RLI. A t-test showed that individuals with schizophrenia scored higher on average on the schizotypal cognitions continuum than individuals without a diagnosis. The results of an ANOVA indicated that individuals with a Quest religious life orientation rendered higher scores on the schizotypal cognitions scale. This research study showed that higher levels of schizotypal cognitions were associated with low religiosity. Overall, individuals with schizophrenia showed no difference in religiosity compared to individuals without schizophrenia. This study addressed the stigma of religious practice among individuals with schizophrenia. Results of this study have positive social implications for individuals with schizophrenia and their practitioners/clergy who incorporate religion as a coping method for symptom relief.