Personality Correlates of Conventional and Unconventional Glossolalia

Abstract

Summary An investigation was made of the personality characteristics of Christians who had been divided along two bipolar dimensions: glossolalianonglossolalia, and conventional-unconventional. There was homogeneity among the groups with respect to age, sex, sample size, and socioeconomic status. One hundred and sixty-one men and women from several religious groups were administered the MMPI, the Shipley Institute of Living Scale, and a demographic questionnaire constructed by the authors. The results suggest glossolalics are more anxious but less neurotic than nonglossolalics; glossolalics tend to externalize anxiety into physical and vocal behavior, while nonglossolalics tend to internalize anxiety into somatic and depressive symptomatology; nonglossolalics tend to be more intelligent and dependent than glossolalics, while the latter have experienced more personal tragedy.