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

Are agnostics, as hesitant nonbelievers, characterized by (1) 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 from 333 UK adults, self-identified as Christian, agnostic, or atheist. We measured neuroticism, positive and negative affect, indecisiveness, maximization, the better-than-average effect, and spirituality. Agnostics were the highest of the three groups in neuroticism, indecisiveness, and maximization of life alternatives. Indecisiveness predicted being agnostic vs. atheist or religionist, beyond the role of spirituality and religious socialization. High Christian identifiers self-enhanced on prosociality and niceness and high atheist identifiers self-enhanced on cleverness, but high agnostic identifiers evaluated both themselves and others as nice. Agnostics may have their own motives not to join atheists.