Human Values and Religion: Evidence from the European Social Survey

Values are guiding constructs of social action that connote some actions as desirable, undesirable, acceptable, and unacceptable, containing a normative moral/ethical component, constituting guide for actions, attitudes, objectives which the human being strives. The role religion in development moral ideal behaviors is subject concern object theoretical empirical debate various sciences. Analyzing sociodemographic religious variables, present work aimed to understand contribution variables explanation Schwartz’s values identify an explanatory model second-order values, i.e., self-transcendence, conservation, self-promotion, openness change. This study was carried out with representative sample Portuguese population, consisting 1270 participants from European Social Survey (ESS), Round 8. Benevolence (as motivational value) self-transcendence were found be most prevalent among respondents, female gender one greatest identity, highest frequency practices, valuing conservation most. Older had more frequent practice higher identity than younger ones, age negatively correlating positively It concluded age, item contribute explain 13.9% variance. also significantly 12.2% variance Despite associations between psychological (values) it can very moderately values. results obtained this raised important issues, namely, if these weakly related themes, religiosity expression people belief without belonging.