From Compliance to Internalization: Buddhist Chanting and Character Formation through Kelman's Theory and the Abhidhamma

Chanting practice among students at the Institut Nalanda Jakarta dormitory fosters character development through three sequential processes: compliance with institutional norms, identification through shared social bonds, and internalization of values as personally meaningful. Using a qualitative phenomenological design with six purposively selected students, the study integrates Kelman's theory of attitude change with the Abhidhamma perspective, interpreting transformation through the concepts of citta and cetasika, which underpin mindfulness, self-control, and ethical conduct. The authors propose an Attitude Change Pyramid modelling the movement from external practice to internalized character, offering a transferable lens for religiously grounded character education.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Character education increasingly draws on religious and contemplative practices, yet how repeated ritual practice becomes internalized as character remains underexplored. This study examines character formation through chanting practice among students at the Institut Nalanda Jakarta dormitory by integrating Kelman’s theory of attitude change with the Abhidhamma perspective. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were gathered through in-depth interviews with six purposively selected students, participant observation, and documentation, and analyzed interpretively. The findings show that chanting fosters character development through three processes: compliance, identification, and internalization. Students first participate because of institutional norms, then build social bonds through shared participation, and finally internalize the values as personally meaningful. From the Abhidhamma perspective, this transformation is interpreted through citta and cetasika, which underpin mindfulness, self-control, and ethical conduct. The study proposes an Attitude Change Pyramid modelling the movement from external practice to internalized character, offering a transferable lens for religiously grounded character education.