Date of Award

May 2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Doug McDonald

Abstract

In the current literature surrounding spirituality, definitions and conceptualizations of the construct differ. Researchers have proposed common themes of spirituality–self-awareness, interconnectedness to the world, and a relationship to a higher power or greater purpose (Hamilton & Jackson, 1998). While definitions of spirituality and how it is operationalized vary across studies, the current view in the field is that spirituality has positive outcomes on those who practice it, including their overall degree of well-being. While these positive effects have been showcased in the literature, due to the influence of western Christian perspectives on many measures of spirituality, there are methodological issues that may limit the ability to generalize findings across diverse groups. One underrepresented group in psychological research includes Native American communities. Spirituality is a key component of Native culture and influences their worldview and many aspects of daily life. Furthermore, there is a paucity of data regarding the relationship between spirituality and well-being amongst Native college students who represent their community’s future leaders, teachers, policy makers, and health service providers. The present study sought to fill the gap in literature on how spirituality impacts the well-being of Native college students, based on their practice of traditional, Native spirituality. Measures of engagement in traditional Native spiritual practices, and subjective well-being, were administered to Native-identifying college students at a large Northern Plains public university (N=54). Results did not find a significant relationship between well-being and Native spirituality (p > .05). Exploratory analyses were conducted and are discussed–including statistically significant group differences between graduate and undergraduate students. This study served as a preliminary exploration on whether the relationship found between well-being and spirituality in previous literature is applicable to expressions of Indigenous spirituality.

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