Elderly individuals may be intrinsically or extrinsically orientated to religion. Religion is important to the elderly individual's sense of well-being. Elder persons with intrinsic orientations to religion live their religion. Religion, for the intrinsically motivated, is a part of all their daily activities. Extrinsically oriented elderly "use their religion" for what they can get out of it. Elderly persons who are more intrinsically oriented to religion experience less depression. Self-esteem is higher in elderly individuals with an intrinsic religious orientation.
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Patricia Beatty Nelson (1990) studied this question.
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