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Journals / Spiritual Psychology and Counseling / 2026 / Volume: 11 Issue: 2

Understanding the Association Between Religiosity and Narcissism: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Altruism

Dindarlık ve Narsisizm Arasındaki İlişkide Diğerkâmlığın Aracı ve Düzenleyici Rolü: Türkiye Örneklemi

Zeki Karataş(Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi)0000-0002-5822-2904
Orhan Koçak(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ-CERRAHPAŞA)0000-0002-0281-8805
Osman Yanık(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ-CERRAHPAŞA)0000-0002-8927-7422
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-06-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings suggest that altruism serves as a key mechanism through which religiosity reduces egocentric tendencies, acting as a transformative force, particularly for individuals who are more self-centered.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study investigates the complex relationship between religiosity, narcissism, and altruism by examining the dual role of altruism as both a mediator and a moderator in the effect of religious attitudes on narcissistic traits.
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Key Findings & Data:The study was conducted with a sample of 806 adults in Turkey using a snowball sampling method via an online survey.
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Conclusion & Impact:These findings suggest that altruism serves as a key mechanism through which religiosity reduces egocentric tendencies, acting as a transformative force, particularly for individuals who are more self-centered.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Religiosity · narcissism · altruism

Abstract

This study investigates the complex relationship between religiosity, narcissism, and altruism by examining the dual role of altruism as both a mediator and a moderator in the effect of religious attitudes on narcissistic traits. The study was conducted with a sample of 806 adults in Turkey using a snowball sampling method via an online survey. Data were collected using the Religious Attitude Scale, the Unexpected Productive Altruism subscale, and the narcissism subscale of the Dark Triad Scale. The proposed conceptual model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for mediation and Hayes' PROCESS Macro (Model 1) for moderation. Results confirmed the initial hypotheses: religiosity was positively associated with altruism and negatively with narcissism, while altruism was also negatively associated with narcissism. Furthermore, altruism was found to partially mediate the negative relationship between religiosity and narcissism. Most notably, a significant moderation effect was found; the negative impact of religiosity on narcissism was significantly stronger for individuals with low levels of altruism compared to those with high levels of altruism. These findings suggest that altruism serves as a key mechanism through which religiosity reduces egocentric tendencies, acting as a transformative force, particularly for individuals who are more self-centered.

Özet

Bu çalışma, diğerkâmlığın dini tutumların narsistik özellikler üzerindeki etkisinde üstlendiği hem aracı hem de düzenleyici ikili rolü inceleyerek; dindarlık, narsisizm ve diğerkâmlık arasındaki karmaşık ilişkiyi araştırmaktadır. Çalışma, çevrimiçi anket yoluyla kartopu örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak Türkiye'deki 806 yetişkinden oluşan bir örneklem ile yürütülmüştür. Veriler; Dini Tutum Ölçeği, Beklenmedik Üretken Diğerkâmlık alt ölçeği ve Karanlık Üçlü Ölçeği'nin narsisizm alt ölçeği kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Önerilen kavramsal model, aracılık etkisi için Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi (YEM) ve düzenleyicilik etkisi için Hayes'in PROCESS Makrosu (Model 1) kullanılarak test edilmiştir. Sonuçlar başlangıç hipotezlerini doğrulamıştır: Dindarlık diğerkâmlık ile pozitif, narsisizm ile negatif yönde ilişkiliyken; diğerkâmlığın da narsisizm ile negatif yönde ilişkili olduğu saptanmıştır. Ayrıca, diğerkâmlığın dindarlık ve narsisizm arasındaki negatif ilişkiye kısmi aracılık ettiği bulunmuştur. En dikkat çekici bulgu olarak, anlamlı bir düzenleyici etki tespit edilmiştir; dindarlığın narsisizm üzerindeki negatif etkisinin, diğerkâmlık düzeyi düşük olan bireylerde, yüksek olanlara kıyasla anlamlı düzeyde daha güçlü olduğu görülmüştür. Bu bulgular, diğerkâmlığın, özellikle daha benmerkezci bireyler için dönüştürücü bir güç olarak hareket ettiğini ve dindarlığın benmerkezci eğilimleri azaltmasını sağlayan temel bir mekanizma işlevi gördüğünü ortaya koymaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Karataş, Z., Koçak, O., Yanık, O. (2026). Understanding the Association Between Religiosity and Narcissism: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Altruism. Spiritual Psychology and Counseling, Volume: 11 Issue: 2. https://doi.org/10.37898/spiritualpc.1842063

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