Pub Date : 2022-10-04DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2121454
Radim Chvaja, Jan Horský, M. Lang, R. Kundt
ABSTRACT We examined the relationship between religious rituals and how people perceive moral norms. Prominent anthropological theories propose that rituals charge associated moral norms with objectivity such that moral norms are perceived as absolute and independent of time and space. We used two cross-sectional datasets to test this hypothesis and conducted five correlational studies with three culturally distinct populations. The results, supported by meta-analysis of our effect sizes, show a positive association between attending collective religious rituals and perceiving moral norms as objective. Moreover, increased saliency of the characteristic aspects of ritual form, namely the perceived invariance, and digitalizing and materializing potentials, was associated with increased reporting of moral norms as objective. Overall, this manuscript provides initial support for theories suggesting that ritual behavior helps ground moral norms by affecting perceptual mechanisms related to norm processing.
{"title":"Positive Association Between Ritual Performance and Perceived Objectivity of Moral Norms","authors":"Radim Chvaja, Jan Horský, M. Lang, R. Kundt","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2121454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2121454","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT We examined the relationship between religious rituals and how people perceive moral norms. Prominent anthropological theories propose that rituals charge associated moral norms with objectivity such that moral norms are perceived as absolute and independent of time and space. We used two cross-sectional datasets to test this hypothesis and conducted five correlational studies with three culturally distinct populations. The results, supported by meta-analysis of our effect sizes, show a positive association between attending collective religious rituals and perceiving moral norms as objective. Moreover, increased saliency of the characteristic aspects of ritual form, namely the perceived invariance, and digitalizing and materializing potentials, was associated with increased reporting of moral norms as objective. Overall, this manuscript provides initial support for theories suggesting that ritual behavior helps ground moral norms by affecting perceptual mechanisms related to norm processing.","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":"33 1","pages":"115 - 135"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41871193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-15DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2094667
Alex J. Holguin
{"title":"Lacanian Psychoanalysis and Eastern Orthodox Christian Anthropology in Dialogue (1st ed.)","authors":"Alex J. Holguin","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2094667","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2094667","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":"33 1","pages":"85 - 87"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47010046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-10DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2108257
Mohsen Joshanloo
ABSTRACT This study examined the between-person and within-person associations between 4 components of subjective well-being (i.e., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with life domains, positive affect, and negative affect) and 2 components of religiosity (i.e., religious salience and religious participation). Data were drawn from the Household, Income, and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, collected 5 times between 2004 and 2018. The Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model was used to analyze the data. Results showed weak between-person associations between the components of religiosity and subjective well-being. At the within-person level, the cross-lagged associations between religiosity and subjective well-being variables were trivial and nonsignificant. This indicates a lack of robust temporal associations between religiosity and subjective well-being when measured at intervals of a few years.
{"title":"Temporal Associations between Religiosity and Subjective Well-Being in a Nationally Representative Australian Sample","authors":"Mohsen Joshanloo","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2108257","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2108257","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This study examined the between-person and within-person associations between 4 components of subjective well-being (i.e., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with life domains, positive affect, and negative affect) and 2 components of religiosity (i.e., religious salience and religious participation). Data were drawn from the Household, Income, and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, collected 5 times between 2004 and 2018. The Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model was used to analyze the data. Results showed weak between-person associations between the components of religiosity and subjective well-being. At the within-person level, the cross-lagged associations between religiosity and subjective well-being variables were trivial and nonsignificant. This indicates a lack of robust temporal associations between religiosity and subjective well-being when measured at intervals of a few years.","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":"33 1","pages":"107 - 114"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46507599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-28DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2094669
Susan L. DeHoff, W. Williamson
{"title":"Human Interaction with the Divine, the Sacred, and the Deceased: Psychological, Scientific, and Theological Perspectives","authors":"Susan L. DeHoff, W. Williamson","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2094669","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2094669","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":"33 1","pages":"151 - 153"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48914309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-11DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2097778
J. Ramsay, Zhi Yin Khong, Joey S. E. Yeo
ABSTRACT Humans have a pervasive tendency to make causal attributions when attempting to explain life events. While causality is often attributed to naturalistic forces, such as the agency of individuals or situational factors, many individuals – particularly those who hold religious or spiritual beliefs – invoke supernatural explanations that ascribe causation to invisible forces or agents such as God(s), fate, or karma. The present research sought to clarify conflicting findings regarding the types of events that tend to elicit supernatural explanations, and to investigate whether reminders of religion exerts a causal effect on these tendencies using priming methodologies. Over two studies (N = 119; N = 121), we observed a consistently greater tendency to invoke supernatural explanations of various kinds when event outcomes were serious and positive. A significant influence of religious priming was observed only for one type of supernatural explanation in Study 1, while inconsistent interactions between valence and seriousness were also observed. These findings are consistent with the notions of “God-of-the-gaps” and God-serving attributional biases, although evidence for a causal influence of reminders of religion on these processes remains inconclusive.
{"title":"The God of Big (And Good) Things: Religious Priming, Event Properties, and Supernatural Explanations","authors":"J. Ramsay, Zhi Yin Khong, Joey S. E. Yeo","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2097778","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2097778","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Humans have a pervasive tendency to make causal attributions when attempting to explain life events. While causality is often attributed to naturalistic forces, such as the agency of individuals or situational factors, many individuals – particularly those who hold religious or spiritual beliefs – invoke supernatural explanations that ascribe causation to invisible forces or agents such as God(s), fate, or karma. The present research sought to clarify conflicting findings regarding the types of events that tend to elicit supernatural explanations, and to investigate whether reminders of religion exerts a causal effect on these tendencies using priming methodologies. Over two studies (N = 119; N = 121), we observed a consistently greater tendency to invoke supernatural explanations of various kinds when event outcomes were serious and positive. A significant influence of religious priming was observed only for one type of supernatural explanation in Study 1, while inconsistent interactions between valence and seriousness were also observed. These findings are consistent with the notions of “God-of-the-gaps” and God-serving attributional biases, although evidence for a causal influence of reminders of religion on these processes remains inconclusive.","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":"33 1","pages":"89 - 106"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48116937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-20DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2078590
Kalina M L Fahey, Saki Nakai, J. Edwards, Sarah S. Dermody
ABSTRACT In studies of adolescents and adults, religiosity has been identified as a protective factor for impulsivity-related behaviors and externalizing problems. No known studies to date have examined the relationship between religiosity and such outcomes in children. Thus, the current study examined in children whether (1) religion is associated with decreased impulsivity and externalizing symptoms, and if (2) religiosity is a protective factor in the association between impulsivity and externalizing symptoms. Data were from Wave 1 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (children aged 9–10, N = 11,875). Two self-report measures and the Cash Choice Task assessed impulsivity; the Child Behavior Checklist assessed externalizing symptoms; and child religiosity was assessed in parent interviews. Structural equation models examined religiosity (affiliation, service attendance, importance) as a moderator between impulsivity and externalizing symptoms. Greater religious attendance was significantly associated with decreased impulsivity. Christian affiliation was associated with increased impulsivity as compared to other religions. Contrary to our hypotheses, religiosity did not moderate associations between impulsivity and externalizing symptoms. Findings suggest that impulsivity and externalizing behaviors are related to some domains of religiosity in children; however, the magnitude of the effect sizes was small, suggesting religiosity is not a particularly salient predictor of externalizing problems in children. Given these findings differ from those seen in studies of adolescents and adults, future studies should consider longitudinal designs to better understand how these relationships form across the lifespan.
{"title":"The Associations between Religion, Impulsivity, and Externalizing Behaviors in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study","authors":"Kalina M L Fahey, Saki Nakai, J. Edwards, Sarah S. Dermody","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2078590","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2078590","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In studies of adolescents and adults, religiosity has been identified as a protective factor for impulsivity-related behaviors and externalizing problems. No known studies to date have examined the relationship between religiosity and such outcomes in children. Thus, the current study examined in children whether (1) religion is associated with decreased impulsivity and externalizing symptoms, and if (2) religiosity is a protective factor in the association between impulsivity and externalizing symptoms. Data were from Wave 1 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (children aged 9–10, N = 11,875). Two self-report measures and the Cash Choice Task assessed impulsivity; the Child Behavior Checklist assessed externalizing symptoms; and child religiosity was assessed in parent interviews. Structural equation models examined religiosity (affiliation, service attendance, importance) as a moderator between impulsivity and externalizing symptoms. Greater religious attendance was significantly associated with decreased impulsivity. Christian affiliation was associated with increased impulsivity as compared to other religions. Contrary to our hypotheses, religiosity did not moderate associations between impulsivity and externalizing symptoms. Findings suggest that impulsivity and externalizing behaviors are related to some domains of religiosity in children; however, the magnitude of the effect sizes was small, suggesting religiosity is not a particularly salient predictor of externalizing problems in children. Given these findings differ from those seen in studies of adolescents and adults, future studies should consider longitudinal designs to better understand how these relationships form across the lifespan.","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":"33 1","pages":"69 - 84"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46680664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-20DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2078591
F. Shults
ABSTRACT This article calls for a more robust mutual engagement between the science of psychedelic experiences (SPE) and the cognitive evolutionary science of religion (CESR). Greater collaboration between researchers in these disciplines could open up opportunities for producing new knowledge not only about the human brain and the therapeutic effects of psychedelics, but also about the evolution of our species and our prospects for creatively enjoying our minds and peacefully living in pluralistic groups in a rapidly changing global environment. However, there are at least three major challenges facing the recently renewed field of SPE: 1) articulating adequate theoretical grounding for its research in a way that can be communicated to neighbor disciplines, 2) developing experimental designs that provide adequate warrant for its cross-cultural and more historically oriented claims, and 3) avoiding psychological, political, and philosophical minefields that could lead to an (over)reaction to the use of psychedelics in research of the sort that almost destroyed the field in the 1970s. While expressing a hope for reciprocal interaction, this article focuses primarily on some lessons learned by scholars in CESR – in relation to material theoretical developments, methodological testing strategies, and minefield navigation experiences – that might provide inspiration for scholars in SPE as they work to keep the renaissance in their field from going “off the rails.”
{"title":"Studying Close Entity Encounters of the Psychedelic Kind: Insights from the Cognitive Evolutionary Science of Religion","authors":"F. Shults","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2078591","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2078591","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article calls for a more robust mutual engagement between the science of psychedelic experiences (SPE) and the cognitive evolutionary science of religion (CESR). Greater collaboration between researchers in these disciplines could open up opportunities for producing new knowledge not only about the human brain and the therapeutic effects of psychedelics, but also about the evolution of our species and our prospects for creatively enjoying our minds and peacefully living in pluralistic groups in a rapidly changing global environment. However, there are at least three major challenges facing the recently renewed field of SPE: 1) articulating adequate theoretical grounding for its research in a way that can be communicated to neighbor disciplines, 2) developing experimental designs that provide adequate warrant for its cross-cultural and more historically oriented claims, and 3) avoiding psychological, political, and philosophical minefields that could lead to an (over)reaction to the use of psychedelics in research of the sort that almost destroyed the field in the 1970s. While expressing a hope for reciprocal interaction, this article focuses primarily on some lessons learned by scholars in CESR – in relation to material theoretical developments, methodological testing strategies, and minefield navigation experiences – that might provide inspiration for scholars in SPE as they work to keep the renaissance in their field from going “off the rails.”","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47371319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-18DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2061151
J. Wilt, Nick Stauner, Julie J. Exline
ABSTRACT Many people believe in supernatural entities, which might be personal (deities, devils, ghosts) or impersonal (fate/destiny, karma, luck). Some people see such entities as causing events in the world, including experiences in their own lives. Our study draws on social, motivational, and cognitive frameworks to predict beliefs and experiences involving supernatural entities. We hypothesized that positive predictors of beliefs in specific entities (God, the devil, ghosts/spirits, impersonal forces of fate/destiny, luck and karma) would include being taught about the entities early in life, anticipating positive reactions from peers about one’s beliefs, and wanting to believe in such entities. We also proposed that beliefs in specific entities, along with beliefs that such entities can affect the natural world, would predict more perceived experiences with these entities. We preregistered and tested these hypotheses in two samples (Ns = 475 and 290) of undergraduates. Path analytic results were largely consistent across entities. Being taught to believe in a specific entity early in life predicted current desire to believe in the entity but anticipated reactions from peers did not. Current desire to believe, in turn, strongly predicted belief in the entity, belief that the entity can affect the natural world, and perceived experiences with the entity. Belief in supernatural entities strongly predicted perceived experiences with them. These results map the structure of relations between relatively stable predictors of supernatural attributions, with an emphasis on social, cognitive, and motivational factors, and they suggest some plausible pathways by which such beliefs and experiences might develop.
{"title":"Beliefs and Experiences Involving God, the Devil, Spirits, and Fate: Social, Motivational, and Cognitive Predictors","authors":"J. Wilt, Nick Stauner, Julie J. Exline","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2061151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2061151","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Many people believe in supernatural entities, which might be personal (deities, devils, ghosts) or impersonal (fate/destiny, karma, luck). Some people see such entities as causing events in the world, including experiences in their own lives. Our study draws on social, motivational, and cognitive frameworks to predict beliefs and experiences involving supernatural entities. We hypothesized that positive predictors of beliefs in specific entities (God, the devil, ghosts/spirits, impersonal forces of fate/destiny, luck and karma) would include being taught about the entities early in life, anticipating positive reactions from peers about one’s beliefs, and wanting to believe in such entities. We also proposed that beliefs in specific entities, along with beliefs that such entities can affect the natural world, would predict more perceived experiences with these entities. We preregistered and tested these hypotheses in two samples (Ns = 475 and 290) of undergraduates. Path analytic results were largely consistent across entities. Being taught to believe in a specific entity early in life predicted current desire to believe in the entity but anticipated reactions from peers did not. Current desire to believe, in turn, strongly predicted belief in the entity, belief that the entity can affect the natural world, and perceived experiences with the entity. Belief in supernatural entities strongly predicted perceived experiences with them. These results map the structure of relations between relatively stable predictors of supernatural attributions, with an emphasis on social, cognitive, and motivational factors, and they suggest some plausible pathways by which such beliefs and experiences might develop.","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":"33 1","pages":"19 - 35"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46791661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-18DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2061152
S. Hosseini, A. Chaurasia, M. Oremus
ABSTRACT We investigated the association between religious participation and executive function in a national sample of Canadian adults aged 45 to 85 years. Executive function scores were aggregated from six neurocognitive tests. We regressed the aggregate scores onto religious participation and controlled for numerous covariates. The analyses were stratified by age: 45 to 64 years and ≥ 65 years. In comparison to persons who reported never participating in religious activities, persons who reported daily-weekly participation had statistically significantly lower executive function scores; we observed this finding for both age groups. Associations for monthly-yearly religious participation versus never participating were also inverse yet not necessarily statistically significant at the 5% level. The strongest inverse associations were observed in models adjusted for social networks, social support, and social participation. Our findings mesh with recent research and suggest the need to carefully assess the role of religious participation when promoting executive function. Future research warrants employing longitudinal designs to further investigate the association.
{"title":"The Association between Religious Participation and Executive Function in Middle- and Older-aged Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging","authors":"S. Hosseini, A. Chaurasia, M. Oremus","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2061152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2061152","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT We investigated the association between religious participation and executive function in a national sample of Canadian adults aged 45 to 85 years. Executive function scores were aggregated from six neurocognitive tests. We regressed the aggregate scores onto religious participation and controlled for numerous covariates. The analyses were stratified by age: 45 to 64 years and ≥ 65 years. In comparison to persons who reported never participating in religious activities, persons who reported daily-weekly participation had statistically significantly lower executive function scores; we observed this finding for both age groups. Associations for monthly-yearly religious participation versus never participating were also inverse yet not necessarily statistically significant at the 5% level. The strongest inverse associations were observed in models adjusted for social networks, social support, and social participation. Our findings mesh with recent research and suggest the need to carefully assess the role of religious participation when promoting executive function. Future research warrants employing longitudinal designs to further investigate the association.","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":"33 1","pages":"36 - 51"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45437499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-18DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2022.2057059
Tatsunori Ishii, Katsumi Watanabe
ABSTRACT The exploration of personality factors to explain individual differences in religiosity has demonstrated a link between empathic concern and religious beliefs using the Empathic Concern subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI-EC). Research in the cognitive science of religion emphasized the role of empathizing ability related to mentalizing in acquisition of religious belief and has demonstrated the relationship between the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and religious belief. The current study was designed to compare the strength of relationships between religious belief and two representative measures of empathy (the IRI-EC and the EQ). Study 1 aimed to statistically evaluate the strength of the relationship between the EQ/IRI-EC and religious belief with four Japanese samples (Ns = 207, 155, 208, 183). The mini meta-analysis results with random effect model indicated that the effect size (semi partial correlation, r sp) of the IRI-EC (r sp = .120, 95%CI [.0002, .237]) was larger than that of the EQ (r sp = .074, 95%CI [−.0001, .147]). Moreover, these results were confirmed by Study 2 (N = 1440). Thus, the present study provided reliable evidence of the link between empathy and religious belief in non-Western samples. We discuss how empathic concern and mentalizing-related empathy contribute to acquiring religious beliefs. Abbreviations: EQ: Empathy Quotient; IRI-EC: Interpersonal Reactivity Index-Empathic Concern; WEIRD: Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic
{"title":"Do Empathetic People Have Strong Religious Beliefs? Survey Studies with Large Japanese Samples","authors":"Tatsunori Ishii, Katsumi Watanabe","doi":"10.1080/10508619.2022.2057059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2057059","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The exploration of personality factors to explain individual differences in religiosity has demonstrated a link between empathic concern and religious beliefs using the Empathic Concern subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI-EC). Research in the cognitive science of religion emphasized the role of empathizing ability related to mentalizing in acquisition of religious belief and has demonstrated the relationship between the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and religious belief. The current study was designed to compare the strength of relationships between religious belief and two representative measures of empathy (the IRI-EC and the EQ). Study 1 aimed to statistically evaluate the strength of the relationship between the EQ/IRI-EC and religious belief with four Japanese samples (Ns = 207, 155, 208, 183). The mini meta-analysis results with random effect model indicated that the effect size (semi partial correlation, r sp) of the IRI-EC (r sp = .120, 95%CI [.0002, .237]) was larger than that of the EQ (r sp = .074, 95%CI [−.0001, .147]). Moreover, these results were confirmed by Study 2 (N = 1440). Thus, the present study provided reliable evidence of the link between empathy and religious belief in non-Western samples. We discuss how empathic concern and mentalizing-related empathy contribute to acquiring religious beliefs. Abbreviations: EQ: Empathy Quotient; IRI-EC: Interpersonal Reactivity Index-Empathic Concern; WEIRD: Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic","PeriodicalId":47234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for the Psychology of Religion","volume":"33 1","pages":"1 - 18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2022-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46418533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}