Faculty Articles

Moral Thought-Action Fusion and OCD Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Religious Affiliation

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2010

Publication Title

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

Volume

24

Issue/Number

3

First Page

309

ISSN

0887-6185

Last Page

312

Abstract/Excerpt

The empirical literature on the relationship between moral thought–action fusion (TAF) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by mixed findings. Previous studies have reported religious group differences in moral TAF and the relationship between moral TAF and religiosity. In light of those studies and considering the apparent role of moral TAF in scrupulosity, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the possible role of religion as a moderator of the relationship between moral TAF and OCD symptoms. The results revealed that (a) Christians endorsed higher levels of moral TAF than did Jews independent of OCD symptoms; (b) religiosity was correlated with moral TAF in Christians but not in Jews, suggesting that Christian religious adherence is related to beliefs about the moral import of thoughts; and (c) moral TAF was related to OCD symptoms only in Jews. That is, for Christians, moral TAF was related to religiosity but not OCD symptoms, and for Jews, moral TAF was related to OCD symptoms but not religiosity. These results imply that moral TAF is only a marker of pathology when such beliefs are not culturally normative (e.g., as a function of religious teaching or doctrine).

DOI

10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.01.002

Peer Reviewed

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