Impacts of perceptions of parents on individuals' reactions to unanswered prayers

This article examines how individuals' reactions to unanswered prayers are associated with their perceptions of their parents. Undergraduate students enrolled at a state university in Utah completed questionnaires during 2016. Based on the responses of 629 students raised by two Mormon parents, this research found that individuals' reactions to unanswered prayers are associated with how they perceive their parents. Those perceiving their fathers or mothers favorably are less likely than their counterparts to report a decrease of religiosity after their prayers go unanswered, in both the short and long term. In addition, this research found that individuals' short-term decrease of religiosity to unanswered prayer is positively associated with the length of praying, while the long-term decrease of religiosity is negatively associated with being raised in a religious family. Overall, this research found that individuals' reactions to unanswered prayers are more associated with their perceptions of their parents than the religiosity of family background.