Date of Award:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department name when degree awarded
Education(Curriculum and Instruction)
Michael K. Freeman, Ph.D.
This qualitative study investigated the religious motivation of college-age LDS young single adults. In particular, this study sought to answer the following question: “What are the contexts and social factors that influence religious motivation of collegeage LDS young adults to study religious texts?” To examine this question, a phenomenological approach was used to explore what participants had in common with feeling motivated to read religious texts. The primary sources of data came from one-on-one interviews that describe the personal experiences and perspectives of 10 college-age LDS young single adults. Sociocultural theory guided the analysis and interpretation of data and findings. Findings indicated the following: (a) regardless of the context, it appeared that involvement in discussions about the scriptures increased the likelihood of an individual feeling motivated to read, (b) even when other contexts included elements that encouraged scripture reading, it appeared that friends strongly influenced whether or not individuals felt motivated to read scriptures, (c) it appeared that environments of expectation influenced motivation to read, and (d) it appeared that individuals who spent time marking and writing in their scriptures felt motivated to read. Based on these findings, it is recommended that further research be done to explore the following: (a) What types of discussions influence motivation to read religious texts? (b) What other religious practices are influenced by friends? (c) How should expectations be communicated and maintained? (d) Is there a difference in motivation between marking (coloring) things in the scriptures and writing (journaling) in the scriptures? It is also important to examine these findings to see if they hold true within other religious contexts and denominations.
West, Dustin R., "Social Factors that Influence Religious Motivation of College-Age LDS Young Adults to Read Religious Texts: A Qualitative Study" (2011). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1030.
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