1. INTRODUCTION HYPOTHESES MEASURES RESULTS Correspondence to: kneppm@mountunion.eduPresented at the 26 th Annual Association for Psychological Science Convention, San Francisco, CA., May 2014 RESULTS Chad R. Gentry, Rebecca A. Kritschil, Veronica K. Zaczyk, Emily A. Quandt, Dekota C. Toot, & Michael M. Knepp University of Mount Union PARTICIPANTS CONCLUSIONS Religiosity, Brain Lateralization, and Personality Impact Problems with Alcohol and Gambling Many studies have established an inverse relationship between religiosity and impulsivity in adolescence (e.g. Burris, Smith, & Carlson, 2009; Pearson, Fracis, & Lightbown, 1986). Previous research has found that performance on verbal tasks is often associated with premeditation. Yet in criminals convicted of impulsive crimes, right hemispheric activity was increased. (Myers & Ellis, 1992). Lam (2006) found that religious participation is negatively correlated with gambling participation, while importance of faith is not related to gambling participation. Bates, Bowden, and Barry (2002) noted bilateral hemisphere differences in alcoholism. H1: that individuals higher in impulsivity would report more problems with both alcohol and gambling H2: students with higher right hemispheric activity and lower left hemispheric activity to task were hypothesized to have greater religiosity as indicated by more positive attitudes towards Christianity. H3: increased religiosity would buffer any hemispheric influence on impulsivity H4: this effect would result in students reporting more positive attitudes toward Christianity having lower stress and decreased problems with gambling and alcohol. The effect of impulsivity on problems with alcohol was significant as higher impulsivity scores related to increased issues with alcohol use. (R 2 =.09, F (1, 106) = 10.79, p <.005) Higher impulsivity scores also predicted increased positive attitudes and behaviors related to gambling. (R 2 =.08, F (1, 106) = 9.27, p <.005) Christianity were more likely to have a change to a more positive attitude toward religion since arriving at college. (R 2 =.17, F (1, 106) = 22.35, p <.001) Students with lower memory scores on the REYO had more positive attitudes towards Christianity than students with higher REYO memory scores. (F (1, 104) = 4.35, p <.05) Students with more positive attitudes toward Christianity reported significantly lower stress levels than those with less positive attitudes and they reported fewer alcohol problems. (F (2, 96) = 6.83, p <.005); (F (2, 96) = 3.20, p <.05) The IRTSS is an 11-item scale covering a range of impulsivity items culled from previous sources in the field (Schafer, Blanchard, & Fals-Stewart, 1994). The short form of the FSATC is a 5-point Likert scale consisting of 7 total items. The scale is rated from disagree strongly to agree strongly with a middle ranking of uncertain and scores range from 7 to 35. The REYO is a neuropsychological assessment tool that assesses for visuospatial constructional ability and memory. A written semantic fluency test was used as a measure of left hemisphere activity. Other questionnaires include: RAPI, CSSS, RACS, and GABS Left hemispheric activity as assessed through the written semantic fluency test was not related to one’s attitude toward Christianity or change in religiosity since coming to university. Positive attitudes towards Christianity were found in students with lower right frontal functioning, yet these positive attitudes did not result in an increase in impulsivity or alcohol/gambling issues. Future work could explore interactions between hemispheric dysfunction and religiosity on possibilities for addiction. Figure 1. Students with more positive attitudes toward Christianity reported lower overall stress Figure 2. Students with more positive attitudes toward Christianity reported fewer problems with alcohol One hundred ten college students were recruited from psychology courses at a private Midwestern university to participate in a study on neuropsychological testing. Participants were recruited utilizing the SONA research system to allow for anonymity.