Applying a Multi-Dimensional Memory Model to Experience to Observe How Components of Experience Might Mediate the Relationship Between Personality and Christian Beliefs

Abstract

Previous research in our lab has shown that experience mediates the relationship between personality and belief. However, the models of experience mediation that we previously used are too simple. Rubin (2022) presented a memory model that identified scene vs. not, self-reference vs. not, and explicit vs. implicit as three dimensions along which memories can be classified. The goal of this research was to evaluate whether experiences could be classified along these same dimensions (along with positive and negative affect) to provide a generic framework for classifying experience components. To test this multiple mediation model, we used personality variables correlated with Christian belief and evaluated the role of the experience components in mediating their relationships. The data suggest that specific experience components may mediate the relationship between personality and belief.