Does religious coping moderate the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and negative trait affect, college adjustment, and alcohol use?

This study examined the relationships between five early maladaptive schemas (Defectiveness/Shame, Dependence/Incompetence, Vulnerability to Harm or Illness, Failure, and Insufficient Self-Confidence/Self-Discipline) and negative affect, college adjustment, and alcohol use. Additionally, it examined the potential moderating effects of religious coping and the religious problem solving styles on these relationships. The sample consisted of 200 predominantly white, Catholic undergraduate students. It supports Young et al.\u27s (2003) theory that the early maladaptive schemas would be positively associated with problematic life adjustment, even in non-clinical populations. Both positive and negative religious coping, as well as the three religious problem solving styles moderated some of the relationships between the early maladaptive schemas and negative affect and college adjustment. No moderation effects were observed for alcohol use. Certain moderations were contingent on gender. In general, this study found that positive religious coping has an ameliorating effect on the experience of negative affect whereas low and moderate levels of negative religious coping could intensify the experience of negative affect. The self-directing religious problem solving style had a greater, beneficial impact on negative affect and college adjustment than did the deferring or collaborative styles. The main importance of this study is its support for the application of the early maladaptive schema paradigm to non-clinical populations. Additionally, it provided support for the conceptualization of positive and negative religious coping, but challenged some previous research regarding the three religious problem solving styles