A research on the relationship between interest in art and psychological well-being and spirituality

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between interest in art and psychological well-being, religiosity and spirituality. The study is divided into two main parts. In the first part, the subject headings and substructure were defined, and the data obtained were subsequently analysed. The study employed the relational screening model, a quantitative research method. The study population comprises students enrolled in the Faculty of Theology between the ages of 18 and 50, currently pursuing studies at Gümüşhane and Ordu Universities during the 2023/2024 academic year. The study sample consisted of 399 individuals, 33.1% male (n=132) and 66.9% female (n=267), selected via random sampling. In the study, questionnaire forms comprising the Art Interest Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scale, Spirituality Scale and Intrinsic Religious Motivation Scale were utilised. The statistical analysis of the forms obtained from the sample was conducted using the SPSS 25.0 statistical package programme. To determine the differences in the mean scores of the variables, independent sample T-test analysis was applied for variables with two groups. One-Way ANOVA analysis was applied for variables with three or more groups, and Pearson correlation analysis was applied to determine the direction and predictiveness of the relationship between the scales. Research findings show that (a) there is no significant relationship between socio-demographic variables and interest in art and its sub dimensions; (b) there are significant positive relationships between interest in art and psychological well-being, religiosity, spirituality and (c) between religiosity and psychological well-being. There are significant positive relationships between the emotion-perception and behaviour sub-dimensions of interest in art and religiosity. On the other hand, it was observed that religiosity had a predictive effect on interest in art and psychological well-being, and interest in art had a predictive effect on psychological well-being. Key Words: Psychology of Religion, Interest in Art, Psychological Well-Being, Religion, Religiosity, Spirituality.