Agnosticism as a distinct type of nonbelief: the role of indecisiveness, maximization, and low self-enhancement

If agnostics are hesitant nonbelievers, are they characterized by (1) some emotional instability and indecisiveness, (2) a tendency to maximize in decision making, or (3) low self-enhancement preventing them from thinking they are better than others? Data were collected online (through Prolific) from 333 UK adults, self-identified as Christian, agnostic, or atheist. We measured neuroticism, positive and negative affect, indecisiveness, maximization (four facets), the better-than-average effect (four domains), and spirituality. Analyses included between-group comparisons, multiple regressions, and distinct by group correlations of the psychological variables with the strength of self-identification as Christian, agnostic, or atheist. Agnostics were the highest of the three groups in neuroticism, indecisiveness, and maximization as a search for life alternatives, whereas strong atheist identifiers were low on the latter two dimensions. Indecisiveness uniquely predicted being agnostic versus atheist or religionist, beyond the role of spiritual inclinations, religious socialization, gender, and age (Wald statistic = 4.52, p = .034). Finally, high Christian identifiers tended to self-enhance on prosociality and niceness and high atheist identifiers self-enhanced on cleverness, but high agnostic identifiers evaluated both themselves and others as nice. This work suggests that agnostics may have their own motives not to join atheists.