An investigation of differences between clergy children and non-clergy children : moral-religious emphasis, stressors, and self-esteem

The purpose of this study was to determine if differences exists between clergy and non-clergy children in regard to family moral-religious emphasis, to stressors, and to self- esteem. The Moral-Religious Emphasis subscale of the Family Environment Scale (Moos, 1974) was used to measure the students' perceptions of their families' moral-religious emphasis.

The Family Environment Scale was administered to Carson- Newman College students along with Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale and the Stressors in Clergy Children and Couples Scale. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant differences between clergy children and non-clergy children on measures of family moral-religious emphasis, stressors, and self-esteem. In order to determine if there were significant differences between the two groups on the three given variables, t tests were used. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was also used to determine relationships among the three factors: emphasis, stressors, and self-esteem. moral-religious

Results were supportive of a difference between clergy and non-clergy children in moral-religious emphasis. No differences were found between the two groups in relation to stress and self-esteem. However, findings are supportive of a direct positive correlation between stress and self-esteem.