The Association Between Perceived Spirituality, Religiosity, and Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Self-Rated Health

This study examined the mediating role of self-perceived health between perceived spirituality, religiosity, and life satisfaction among a stratified, random sample of college students, while controlling for gender. Although both models displayed excellent fit criteria, the perceived spirituality and life satisfaction model was fully mediated by self-perceived health χ² (n=459, 4) = 1.64, p=0.80, CFI =0.99, TLI=0.99), and the perceived religiosity and life satisfaction model was partially mediated by self-perceived health χ² (n=459, 10) = 22.29, p=0.01 CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99). Both models were equal for men and women. Students who describe themselves as spiritual (or religious) are likely to report greater self-perceived health and greater self-perceived health likely influences life satisfaction for both men and women. Results preliminarily support the contention that life satisfaction is related to differing reported health status, whether physical or mental, and that life satisfaction may be influenced by religiosity and spirituality engagement. Implications for colleges and universities are discussed.     

Religiosity,sexual behaviors,sexual motivations,and gender: A three-year longitudinal study

Longitudinal data are critical for examining associations of religiosity with sexual behaviors and motivations during college. We use hierarchical linear modeling on five semesters of data from a diverse sample of college students (N = 735) to examine within- and between-person associations between religious service attendance and importance of religion and sexual behaviors and motivations for and against sex and consider gender as a moderator. Between-person religiosity was associated with sexual behaviors and motivations whereas within-person religiosity was not. Students' sexual motivations co-varied across semesters with their religious service attendance and importance of religion. Our results indicated more restrictive associations between religiosity and sexual motivations for women than for men.     

Reports of Conferences,Institutes, and Seminars: Crossroads to the Future

Reports cover the 2006 Ohio Valley Group of Technical Services Librarians Conference and the 2006 North American Serials Interest Group Conference.     

FINANCIAL INTEGRATION: A NEW METHODOLOGY AND AN ILLUSTRATION

This paper develops a simple methodology to test for asset integration, and applies it within and between American stock markets. Our technique relies on estimating and comparing expected risk‐free rates across assets. Expected risk‐free rates are allowed to vary freely over time, constrained only by the fact that they must be equal across (risk‐adjusted) assets in well‐integrated markets. Assets are allowed to have standard risk characteristics, and are constrained by the Fama and French factor model of covariances over short time periods. We find that internal integration in the S&P 500 market is never rejected and is not generally rejected in the NASDAQ. Integration between the NASDAQ and the S&P, however, is always rejected dramatically. (JEL: G14)