· Religion and Achievement Motivation o Protestantism, Predestination, and Capitalism principles that became the foundation for capitalism were ones that grew out of the Protestant Reformation One idea from Protestantism was the notion that individuals were capable of communicating with God directly, and therefore were not dependent on the church as an intermediary · Protestants emphasized literacy training more than Catholics, so people would be able to read the Bible for themselves The individualized relationship between each person and God is considered central to the blossoming of individualism that occurred during the Reformation, and continues to influence much of Western society today Calling: a unique God-given purpose to fulfill during his or her lifetime · God gives each person the skills and capabilities for attaining his or her purpose, and it is up to the individual to discover what that is o Perspectives on the Protestant Ethic Controversial in Germany, Protestant counties in the 19th century were wealthier than Catholic counties, and this advantage was associated with greater literacy in the Protestant regions A survey of per-capita income in countries worldwide found that nations that were largely Protestant earned more than those that were mixed Protestant and Catholic, and that they earned more than predominantly Catholic countries Protestants, and people living in Protestant societies consider the prospect of being unemployed as more of a blow to their well-being than do non-Protestants and people living in non-Protestant societies People living in Protestant countries also have more pro-market economic attitudes Protestants in the U.S. were more likely to enter high-status, non manual occupations than Catholics of the same occupational origin Protestant nations were far more industrialized than their Catholic counterparts Protestant ethic has been associated with negative attitudes toward laziness and being overweight Protestant parents expected their children to become self-reliant at an earlier age than Catholic parent