Social Networks among Ministry Relationships: Relational Capacity, Burnout, & Ministry Effectiveness
Humans, on average, are believed to have the capacity to sustain approximately 150 personal relationships due to social-cognitive limits and time available for relationship investment (Dunbar, 1993). The consequences of attempting to exceed this relational limit have not been investigated. Yet relat...
| Published in: | Journal of psychology and theology |
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| Authors: | ; ; ; |
| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
[2017]
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| In: |
Journal of psychology and theology
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Office-holder
/ Religious organization
/ Interpersonal relationship
/ Social network
/ Discharge of office
/ Burn-out syndrome
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| RelBib Classification: | RB Church office; congregation ZD Psychology |
| Further subjects: | B
Social Networks
B Peer reviewed B Clergy Mental health B Stress management B Interpersonal Relations |
| Parallel Edition: | Electronic
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| Summary: | Humans, on average, are believed to have the capacity to sustain approximately 150 personal relationships due to social-cognitive limits and time available for relationship investment (Dunbar, 1993). The consequences of attempting to exceed this relational limit have not been investigated. Yet relational-style ministry workers face pressure to increase their number of personal relationships. It is likely that attempting to exceed this relational limit leads to distress. Therefore, relational ministers exceeding typical social network sizes were predicted to experience higher levels of burnout and lower levels of ministry effectiveness. For this study, two hundred thirty-seven relational ministers completed self-report measures. Multiple hierarchical regressions indicated that while total network size was not a significant predictor of outcome variables, nuanced differences among networks predicted burnout and ministry effectiveness. Above average numbers of intimate, high-investment relationships predicted smaller overall network sizes, and subgroups of more intimate relationships may have optimal size ranges that contribute to personal well-being. |
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| ISSN: | 0091-6471 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of psychology and theology
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