A Typology of Secular Students' Engagement, Cognition, and Values

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Developing Interfaith Campus Communities and Connections

Abstract

Students who do not identify with any religion or faith often share some similarities, but they also differ
from one another in important ways that may inform campus efforts to create a welcoming climate and
inclusive interfaith opportunities. In particular, these differences extend beyond the labels of “atheist” or
“agnostic” to include various domains of worldview engagement, cognitions, and values. The present study
features a latent profile analysis using a sample of 1,982 undergraduates at 111 institutions to create a typology
of secular college students. The best fitting model contained five distinct classes or groups of students:
worldview indifferent, religiously disengaged, religiously distrustful, socially interfaith, and highly engaged.

Authors

• Lori E. Durako Fisher, North Carolina State University

• Nicholas A. Bowman, University of Iowa

• Alyssa N. Rockenbach, North Carolina State University

• Matthew J. Mayhew, The Ohio State University