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Li Y, Zhu D. The Relationship Between Negotiable Fate and Life Satisfaction: The Serial Mediation by Self-Esteem and Positive Psychological Capital. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2024; 17:1625-1633. [PMID: 38645479 PMCID: PMC11027918 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s450973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Negotiable fate as a belief in coping with the difficulties and uncertainties of life has an impact on people's mental health. This study aims to understand the influence of negotiate fate on college students' life satisfaction and its underlying mechanism. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 1523 students from six universities across China. The study aimed to measure the variables of negotiable fate, self-esteem, positive psychological capital, and life satisfaction of all participants. To investigate the effect of negotiable fate on college students' life satisfaction and the mediating roles of self-esteem and positive psychological capital in this relationship, a serial mediation effects model using Hayes' PROCESS was employed. Results The results suggest that negotiable fate has a positive predictive effect on college students' life satisfaction. The impact of negotiable fate on college students' life satisfaction was mediated by self-esteem and positive psychological capital, and the chained mediation of self-esteem and positive psychological capital. Conclusion To summarize, the belief of negotiable fate has practical significance for the enhancement of college student's mental health and quality of life, and the cultivation of college students' belief of negotiable fate can be actively promoted in the future to help them better cope with the uncertainties and challenges in their lives to improve their life satisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwen Li
- School of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dapeng Zhu
- School of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
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2
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Roberts AJ, Handley S, Polito V. The Consequences of Anthropomorphic and Teleological Beliefs in a Global Pandemic. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:146. [PMID: 38392499 PMCID: PMC10886024 DOI: 10.3390/bs14020146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
To describe something in terms of its purpose or function is to describe its teleology. Previous studies have found that teleological beliefs are positively related to anthropomorphism, and that anthropomorphism decreases the perceived unpredictability of non-human agents. In the current study, we explore these relationships using the highly salient example of beliefs about the coronavirus pandemic. Results showed that both anthropomorphism and teleology were negatively associated with perceived uncertainty and threat, and positively associated with self-reported behavioural change in response to the pandemic. These findings suggest that highly anthropomorphic and teleological individuals may view coronavirus as agentive and goal-directed. While anthropomorphic and teleological beliefs may facilitate behavioural change in response to the pandemic, we also found that the associated reduction in uncertainty and threat may be detrimental to behavioural change. We discuss the implications of these findings for messaging about global events more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Roberts
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia
| | - Simon Handley
- Office of Higher Degree Research Training and Partnership, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia
| | - Vince Polito
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia
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3
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Xiao H, Guo J, Fang J, Xiao T, Li G. Impact of resource scarcity on general categorization tendency: The moderating role of perceived mutability. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286619. [PMID: 37611025 PMCID: PMC10446183 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior studies revealed varying effects of resource scarcity on individuals' general categorization tendency. However, little is known about when and why such differences occur. Based on the self-regulatory model of resource scarcity, we examine whether resource scarcity generates higher or lower general categorization tendency depending on the perceived mutability of the resource discrepancy. We conducted two online experiments to test the hypotheses. The results affirmed that when individuals consider the resource discrepancy to be mutable, they are more likely to seek abundance to compensate for resource scarcity, thus reducing their general categorization tendency. In contrast, perceiving the scarcity as immutable triggers the intention to restore a sense of control undermined by the scarcity, increasing individuals' general categorization tendency. Our findings provide insights into the downstream consequences of resource scarcity and offer significant managerial implications for coping strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haowen Xiao
- Management School, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Jiayi Guo
- Management School, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Junyi Fang
- Management School, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Ting Xiao
- Management School, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Guocheng Li
- Management School, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
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4
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Adebusuyi AS. With a powerful God, all things are possible: A compensatory control account of occupational aspirations among overqualified policemen. AFRICA JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/23322373.2022.2155114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Religious Fundamentalism, Delusions, and Conspiracy Beliefs Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159597. [PMID: 35954951 PMCID: PMC9368062 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The widespread COVID-19 conspiracy theories are a problem in dealing with the pandemic, as their proponents tend not to adhere to public health regulations. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationships between religious fundamentalism, delusions, compliance with public health regulations, and religion-related conspiracy beliefs about the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were 570 internet users aged 18–60. They responded to questions regarding sociodemographic variables, compliance with public health regulations, conspiracy beliefs concerning COVID-19, as well as the Revised Religious Fundamentalism Scale, and the Delusions Scale. The results indicated that people exhibiting more conspiracy beliefs were less likely to comply with public health regulations concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and showed more religious fundamentalism. Additionally, there was an indirect effect of religious fundamentalism on conspiracy beliefs through delusions. The results suggest that when formulating epidemiological messages, it is worth paying attention to the importance of rational thinking.
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6
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Stereotyping, prejudice, and the role of anxiety for compensatory control. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2022. [DOI: 10.32872/spb.7875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This work examines the influence of personal control and anxiety on stereotyping and prejudice. In two experiments, personal control was manipulated in an autobiographical experience task. In Experiment 1, participants then completed measures of implicit and explicit gender stereotypes. In Experiment 2, implicit and explicit racial prejudice was assessed. Anxiety was tested as a possible mediator of the relationship between personal control and stereotyping and prejudice, respectively. Low personal control was associated with greater gender stereotyping and racial prejudice in explicit measures. Anxiety mediated the relationship between personal control and stereotyping but not between personal control and prejudice. Also, ingroup identification was found to moderate some of the relations between personal control, anxiety and stereotyping and prejudice. The results provide support for stereotyping and prejudice as compensatory control mechanisms, but evidence is mixed regarding the role of anxiety in mediating the processes.
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7
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Schnabel L, Schieman S. Religion Protected Mental Health but Constrained Crisis Response During Crucial Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic. JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION 2022; 61:530-543. [PMID: 34230686 PMCID: PMC8250760 DOI: 10.1111/jssr.12720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
This study demonstrates that religion protected mental health but constrained support for crisis response during the crucial early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from a national probability-based sample of the U.S. population show that highly religious individuals and evangelicals suffered less distress in March 2020. They were also less likely to see the coronavirus outbreak as a crisis and less likely to support public health restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. The conservative politicization of religion in the United States can help explain why religious Americans (and evangelicals in particular) experienced less distress and were less likely to back public health efforts to contain the virus. We conclude that religion can be a source of comfort and strength in times of crisis, but-at least in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic-it can also undercut efforts to end the root causes of suffering.
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8
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Skrodzka M, Kende A, Faragó L, Bilewicz M. “Remember that we suffered!” The effects of historical trauma on
anti‐Semitic
prejudice. JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna Kende
- Institute of Psychology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Laura Faragó
- Institute of Psychology ELTE Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology Pázmány Péter Catholic University Budapest Hungary
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9
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Nash K, Kleinert T, Leota J, Scott A, Schimel J. Resting-state networks of believers and non-believers: An EEG microstate study. Biol Psychol 2022; 169:108283. [PMID: 35114302 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Atheism and agnosticism are becoming increasingly popular, yet the neural processes underpinning individual differences in religious belief and non-belief remain poorly understood. In the current study, we examined differences between Believers and Non-Believers with regard to fundamental neural resting networks using EEG microstate analysis. Results demonstrated that Non-Believers show increased contribution from a resting-state network associated with deliberative or analytic processing (Microstate D), and Believers show increased contribution from a network associated with intuitive or automatic processing (Microstate C). Further, analysis of resting-state network communication suggested that Non-Believers may process visual information in a more deliberative or top-down manner, and Believers may process visual information in a more intuitive or bottom-up manner. These results support dual process explanations of individual differences in religious belief and add to the representation of non-belief as more than merely a lack of belief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Nash
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, Canada.
| | - Tobias Kleinert
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Josh Leota
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Andy Scott
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Jeff Schimel
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, Canada
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10
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Kurnaz A. The big five personality traits as antecedents of panic buying. MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.21272/mmi.2022.3-02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to analyse the effects of personality traits as antecedents of panic buying. In extraordinary periods, certain behavioural changes could be observed in individuals, and panic buying behaviour could occur for specific products or product groups. The theoretical framework of the concept of panic buying comprises various theories, including individual and socio-psychological backgrounds. In line with the main objective of this study, the concept of panic buying is addressed in the light of theories that elaborate on individual factors. Even though there are many factors affecting panic buying, there is a limited number of studies discussing the subject within the context of personality traits, which are among the individual factors. In this study, data were acquired from 852 participants in Turkey by applying the questionnaire technique as a quantitative research method. The Big Five Personality Traits, one of the significant theories in measuring personality traits, are selected as the baseline. This study used the «The Big Five Inventor» scale. On the other hand, the «Panic Buying Scale» was applied in the measurement of panic buying. Data analysis was conducted through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Upon evaluating the findings, it was concluded that agreeableness (one of the five major personality traits) has a statistically significant and negative impact on panic buying. In contrast, neuroticism has a significant and positive effect. The more individuals have high agreeableness personality traits, the more panic buying decreases. Besides, the trait of high neuroticism causes an increase in panic buying. No significant effect of extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness personality traits on panic buying was determined. The findings indicate the effects of personality traits on the individual causes of panic buying behaviour. It is anticipated that this study will fill the relevant gap in the literature concerning considering personality traits as an antecedent of panic buying in the context of Turkish participants and examining both individual characteristics and cultural effects. Understanding the basic motivations of individuals regarding panic buying behaviour is of utmost importance for correctly managing the processes for similar extraordinary periods that may occur again in the future and for taking the necessary precautions.
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11
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Neural underpinning of a personal relationship with God and sense of control: A lesion-mapping study. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 20:575-587. [PMID: 32333240 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00787-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A strong personal relationship with God is theoretically and empirically associated with an enhanced sense of control. While a growing body of research is focused on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying religious belief, little is known about the brain basis of the link between a personal relationship with God and sense of control. Here, we used a sample of patients with focal brain lesions (N = 84) and matched healthy controls (N = 22) to determine whether damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)-a region associated with emotionally meaningful religious experiences and with sense of control-will modulate self-reports of a personal relationship with God and sense of control. We also examined potential mediators for these associations. Voxel-based lesion symptom mapping revealed that damage to the right vmPFC resulted in a stronger personal relationship with God, and patients with damage to this region demonstrated an increased sense of control relative to patients with damage to posterior cortex and healthy controls. Moreover, the association between vmPFC damage and greater perceived sense of control was mediated by a stronger personal relationship with God. Collectively, these results suggest that a strong personal relationship with God can serve an important psychological function by affecting sense of control, with both enhanced following damage to the right vmPFC.
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12
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Stojanov A, Halberstadt J, Bering JM, Kenig N. Examining a domain-specific link between perceived control and conspiracy beliefs: a brief report in the context of COVID-19. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 42:6347-6356. [PMID: 34149266 PMCID: PMC8203308 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01977-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Although anecdotal evidence suggests that control-threatening situations are associated with an increase in conspiracy beliefs, existing research does not support this "compensatory control" hypothesis. In the current study, we test a more refined hypothesis: that the link between control threat and conspiracy beliefs is domain specific, such that perceived control in a particular domain should lead to conspiracy beliefs pertaining to that domain only. Moreover, given that conspiracy beliefs are stigmatized (i.e., not socially acceptable), we propose that they should be endorsed only when other compensatory systems are frustrated. We test these ideas in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants from North Macedonia and New Zealand, who differed in perceived government effectiveness, filled in a questionnaire measuring domain-specific and domain-general perceived control, as well as domain-specific and domain-general conspiracy beliefs. As expected, domain specificity of the control threat predicted domain-specific conspiracy beliefs in the Macedonian group only. The results have implication for compensatory control theory, suggesting that the compensatory process may not always be as fluid as believed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01977-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Stojanov
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, William James Building, 275 Leith Walk, Dunedin, 9016 New Zealand
| | - Jamin Halberstadt
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, William James Building, 275 Leith Walk, Dunedin, 9016 New Zealand
| | - Jesse M. Bering
- Centre for Science Communication, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Nikolina Kenig
- Department of Psychology, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
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13
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Perceived lack of control and conspiracy theory beliefs in the wake of political strife and natural disaster. PSIHOLOGIJA 2021. [DOI: 10.2298/psi201115009s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
While lack of control is one plausible explanation for conspiracy beliefs,
the experimental evidence is mixed. We present two naturalistic studies that
offer some limited support for the control hypothesis. In the first,
Macedonians living in (North) Macedonia (N = 116) completed a conspiracy
ideation scale immediately after a national referendum on the country?s name
change from ?Macedonia? to ?North Macedonia,? and one year after. The
opposition, whose control was lowered after the name change, increased their
conspiracy beliefs, but supporters did not. Study 2, conducted with
Americans (N = 266) in the wake of a series of devastating tornadoes,
replicated and expanded the first study: the effects were evident only for
the threatening event-related conspiracy beliefs. These studies suggest a
possible link between lack of control and conspiracy beliefs in the real
world.
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14
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Stojanov A, Bering JM, Halberstadt J. Does Perceived Lack of Control Lead to Conspiracy Theory Beliefs? Findings from an online MTurk sample. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237771. [PMID: 32804940 PMCID: PMC7430734 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely believed that conspiracy theory beliefs are the product of perceived lack of control. However, to date there is mixed evidence, at best, to support this claim. We consider the reasons why conspiracy theory beliefs do not appear to be based in any straightforward way on control beliefs, interrogating existing findings and presenting new data that call the relationship into question. Across six studies conducted online using MTurk samples, we observed no effect of control manipulations on conspiracy theory beliefs, while replicating previously reported correlational evidence of their association. The results suggest that conspiracy beliefs are not suitable for compensating for threats to control. We discuss possible reasons for the discrepancy between experimental and correlational effects and examine the limitations of the studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Stojanov
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Jesse M. Bering
- Centre for Science Communication, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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15
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Lang M, Krátký J, Xygalatas D. The role of ritual behaviour in anxiety reduction: an investigation of Marathi religious practices in Mauritius. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190431. [PMID: 32594878 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While the occurrence of rituals in anxiogenic contexts has been long noted and supported by ethnographic, quantitative and experimental studies, the purported effects of ritual behaviour on anxiety reduction have rarely been examined. In the present study, we investigate the anxiolytic effects of religious practices among the Marathi Hindu community in Mauritius and test whether these effects are facilitated by the degree of ritualization present in these practices. Seventy-five participants first experienced anxiety induction through the public speaking paradigm and were subsequently asked to either perform their habitual ritual in a local temple (ritual condition) or sit and relax (control condition). The results revealed that participants in the ritual condition reported lower perceived anxiety after the ritual treatment and displayed lower physiological anxiety, which was assessed as heart-rate variability. The degree of ritualization in the ritual condition showed suggestive albeit variable effects, and thus further investigation is needed. We conclude the paper with a discussion of various mechanisms that may facilitate the observed anxiolytic effects of ritual behaviour and should be investigated in the future. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ritual renaissance: new insights into the most human of behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lang
- LEVYNA Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J Krátký
- LEVYNA Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - D Xygalatas
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
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Stojanov A, Halberstadt J. Does lack of control lead to conspiracy beliefs? A meta‐analysis. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Stojanov
- Department of Psychology University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand
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19
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Finding meaning in the clouds: Illusory pattern perception predicts receptivity to pseudo-profound bullshit. JUDGMENT AND DECISION MAKING 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/s193029750000334x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractPrevious research has demonstrated a link between illusory pattern perception and various irrational beliefs. On this basis, we hypothesized that participants who displayed greater degrees of illusory pattern perception would also be more likely to rate pseudo-profound bullshit statements as profound. We find support for this prediction across three experiments (N = 627) and four distinct measures of pattern perception. We further demonstrate that this observed relation is restricted to illusory pattern perception, with participants displaying greater endorsement of non-illusory patterns being no more likely to rate pseudo-profound bullshit statements as profound. Additionally, this relation is not a product of a general proclivity to rate all statements as profound and is not accounted for by individual differences in analytic thinking. Overall, we demonstrate that individuals with a tendency to go beyond the available data such that they uncritically endorse patterns where no patterns exist are also more likely to create and endorse false-meaning in meaningless pseudo-profound statements. These findings are discussed in the context of a proposed framework that views individuals’ receptivity to pseudo-profound bullshit as, in part, an unfortunate consequence of an otherwise adaptive process: that of pattern perception.
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Jasinskaja-Lahti I, Jetten J. Unpacking the relationship between religiosity and conspiracy beliefs in Australia. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 58:938-954. [PMID: 30706498 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We examined the interrelation between religiosity, anti-intellectualism, and political mistrust in predicting belief in conspiracy theories. Improving on previous psychological research on the link between religiosity and societal and political attitudes, we assessed the predictive power of religious self-categorization and the importance attached to one's own (non)religious worldview predicting belief in conspiracy theories separately. Applying quota sampling in a study in Australia (N = 515), the sample consisted of 48.9% believers (i.e., those who self-categorized as religious persons) and 51.1% non-believers (i.e., those who self-categorized as non-religious persons). The results showed that believers and non-believers did not differ in the belief in conspiracy theories. Unpacking this further though, we did find that the extent to which religious worldviews were endorsed predicted belief in conspiracy theories. Among believers, the importance attached to their religious worldview was directly associated with higher belief in conspiracy theories and this link was partly mediated by higher anti-intellectualism. Political trust, in turn, served as an inhibitor of the link between religiosity and conspiracy beliefs. Among non-believers, there was no direct association between the importance of non-religious worldview and belief in conspiracy theories. However, we found that higher trust in political institutions accounted for the negative association between non-religious worldview and lower belief in conspiracy theories. The results underline the importance of distinguishing religiosity as a self-categorization and religiosity as a worldview. We find that it is not the self-categorization as religious, but the extent to which religious worldviews are endorsed that could predict people's beliefs in conspiracy theories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jolanda Jetten
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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21
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Makoge V, Maat H, Vaandrager L, Koelen M. Health dynamics in camps and on campuses: stressors and coping strategies for wellbeing among labourers and students in Cameroon. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being 2018; 13:1435098. [PMID: 29436294 PMCID: PMC5814764 DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2018.1435098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE For many people living in low-income countries, poverty implies an increased exposure to conditions that threaten health and wellbeing as well as reduced capacity to maintain health. Despite the challenging conditions caused by poverty, people may consider themselves healthy because they have learned to cope with their situation probably as a result of life experiences which expose people to both challenges and potential solutions. In this paper we present results from studying health and wellbeing challenges and mechanisms to cope with challenges among two different groups of people who are living under conditions of poverty: workers of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) and students of the university of Buea and the university of Yaoundé. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study, interviewing 21 CDC workers and 21 students. Results Our study reveals context-specific stressors emerging from poor work conditions and study pressure as well as non-context-specific stressors perceived by respondents as living conditions, poor healthcare and financial uncertainty. Respondents devised coping mechanisms to overcome exactly those stressors such as searching for additional money sources, preventive action towards hazardous living conditions and alternative medical support. CONCLUSION We conclude that supporting and promoting such avenues is essential for enhanced and continuous coping with stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Makoge
- Health and Society (HSO) group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Medical Research Centre, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies (IMPM), Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Harro Maat
- Knowledge Technology and Innovation (KTI) group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lenneke Vaandrager
- Health and Society (HSO) group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Koelen
- Health and Society (HSO) group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Vargas-Salfate S. The role of personal control in the palliative function of system justification among indigenous and non-indigenous Peruvian students / El rol del control personal en la función paliativa de la justificación del sistema entre la población indígena y no indígena de estudiantes peruanos. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/02134748.2018.1537650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Howell AN, Carleton RN, Horswill SC, Parkerson HA, Weeks JW, Asmundson GJG. Intolerance of uncertainty moderates the relations among religiosity and motives for religion, depression, and social evaluation fears. J Clin Psychol 2018; 75:95-115. [PMID: 30238465 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) underlies several psychological disorders, and religion may help some individuals cope with IU and/or protect against psychological symptoms. It was hypothesized that IU would moderate the relations between coping motives for being religious, as well as religiosity, and common psychological disorder symptoms: Depression and social evaluation fears. METHODS Study 1 included 473 self-reporting community members (M age = 48, 48% female, 80% Protestant/Catholic). Study 2 included 412 self-reporting undergraduates ( M age = 19, 71% female, 76% Protestant/Catholic). RESULTS For Study 1, coping-based motives related to greater depression for young adults with above-average IU and to lower depression for young adults with below-average IU. For Study 2, religiosity related to lower depression and fear of negative evaluation for individuals with above-average IU and to greater fear of positive evaluation for individuals with below-average IU. CONCLUSION IU may be an important mechanism between aspects of religion and psychological disorder symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R Nicholas Carleton
- Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Samantha C Horswill
- Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Holly A Parkerson
- Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Zahodne LB, Schupf N, Brickman AM. Control beliefs are associated with preserved memory function in the face of low hippocampal volume among diverse older adults. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 12:1112-1120. [PMID: 29063505 PMCID: PMC5912994 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9776-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence supports a link between locus of control and memory in older adults. Control beliefs may directly predict larger hippocampal volume (i.e., brain maintenance). Alternatively, control beliefs may be associated with smaller hippocampal volume at any given level of memory (i.e., cognitive reserve). Multivariable regression analyses examined associations between verbal episodic memory, locus of control and hippocampal volume among 236 non-demented older adults in the community-based Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project. Control beliefs were negatively associated with hippocampal volume when controlling for memory performance, indicating that individuals with stronger control beliefs were able to maintain memory function in the face of lower hippocampal volume. Subsequent exploratory models stratified by race/ethnicity indicated that this association was more prominent among racial/ethnic minorities (particularly Caribbean Hispanic older adults) than among non-Hispanic White older adults. Control beliefs were not associated with hippocampal volume before memory was taken into account. Results are consistent with the view that control beliefs facilitate the maintenance of memory function despite hippocampal volume loss. Results are not consistent with the view that locus of control contributes to brain maintenance. Culturally-appropriate interventions are needed to test whether strengthening control beliefs provides cognitive resistance to neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Zahodne
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, USA.
| | - Nicole Schupf
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam M Brickman
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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25
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Reply to Safra et al.: Lack of theoretical rationale and selective analysis does not imply no strong evidence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E1078-E1079. [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1722116115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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26
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Shepherd S, Kay AC. Guns as a Source of Order and Chaos: Compensatory Control and the Psychological (Dis)Utility of Guns for Liberals and Conservatives. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1086/695761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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27
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Tang S, King M, Kay AC. Fate as a motivated (and de-motivating) belief: Evidence for a link from task importance to belief in fate to effort. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN DECISION PROCESSES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2017.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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28
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Addicted to answers: Need for cognitive closure and the endorsement of conspiracy beliefs. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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29
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Ma-Kellams C, Zhang EMF. Is There Such a Thing as “Ultimate” Meaning? A Review of Fluid versus Fixed Models of Different Forms of Human Striving. BASIC AND APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/01973533.2017.1361325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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30
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Advancing a Distributive-Bargaining and Integrative-Negotiation Integral System: A Values-Based Negotiation Model (VBM). SOCIAL SCIENCES-BASEL 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci6040115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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31
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When the appeal of a dominant leader is greater than a prestige leader. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:6734-6739. [PMID: 28607061 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1617711114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Across the globe we witness the rise of populist authoritarian leaders who are overbearing in their narrative, aggressive in behavior, and often exhibit questionable moral character. Drawing on evolutionary theory of leadership emergence, in which dominance and prestige are seen as dual routes to leadership, we provide a situational and psychological account for when and why dominant leaders are preferred over other respected and admired candidates. We test our hypothesis using three studies, encompassing more than 140,000 participants, across 69 countries and spanning the past two decades. We find robust support for our hypothesis that under a situational threat of economic uncertainty (as exemplified by the poverty rate, the housing vacancy rate, and the unemployment rate) people escalate their support for dominant leaders. Further, we find that this phenomenon is mediated by participants' psychological sense of a lack of personal control. Together, these results provide large-scale, globally representative evidence for the structural and psychological antecedents that increase the preference for dominant leaders over their prestigious counterparts.
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32
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Khenfer J, Roux E, Tafani E, Laurin K. When God's (not) needed: Spotlight on how belief in divine control influences goal commitment. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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33
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Preston JL, Shin F. Spiritual experiences evoke awe through the small self in both religious and non-religious individuals. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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34
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Guo X, Egan V, Zhang J. Sense of control and adolescents’ aggression: The role of aggressive cues. Psych J 2016; 5:263-274. [DOI: 10.1002/pchj.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2016] [Revised: 10/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xucheng Guo
- Department of Public Administration; Hunan Normal University; Changsha China
| | - Vincent Egan
- Centre for Family and Forensic Psychology; University of Nottingham; Nottingham UK
| | - Jianxin Zhang
- Institute of Psychology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
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35
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Rainbird S, Naweed A. Signs of respect: embodying the train driver–signal relationship to avoid rail disasters. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/23800127.2016.1252176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Rainbird
- Central Queensland University, Appleton Institute for Behaviour Science, Wayville, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Rail Innovation, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Anjum Naweed
- Central Queensland University, Appleton Institute for Behaviour Science, Wayville, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Rail Innovation, Brisbane, Australia
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36
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Levine CS, Basu D, Chen E. Just World Beliefs Are Associated With Lower Levels of Metabolic Risk and Inflammation and Better Sleep After an Unfair Event. J Pers 2016; 85:232-243. [PMID: 26691417 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study's goal was to conduct a preliminary test of the theory that just world beliefs can buffer against negative physiological outcomes after people experience certain types of negative life events by testing associations between just world beliefs and physiological outcomes among people with different life event histories. In a sample of 247 adults (Mage = 46.01; 24.31% men; 60.78% White), this research investigated the relationship between just world beliefs and metabolic symptoms, inflammation, and sleep among people who had recently experienced an unfair event, another type of negative event, or no negative event. Stronger just world beliefs correlated with lower metabolic risk, lower inflammation, and better sleep among people who had recently experienced an unfair event, but not among those in the other two event groups. These findings suggest that people's beliefs about the world may interact with their life experiences in ways that have implications for health-relevant outcomes.
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37
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Heiphetz L, Lane JD, Waytz A, Young LL. How Children and Adults Represent God's Mind. Cogn Sci 2015; 40:121-44. [PMID: 25807973 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
For centuries, humans have contemplated the minds of gods. Research on religious cognition is spread across sub-disciplines, making it difficult to gain a complete understanding of how people reason about gods' minds. We integrate approaches from cognitive, developmental, and social psychology and neuroscience to illuminate the origins of religious cognition. First, we show that although adults explicitly discriminate supernatural minds from human minds, their implicit responses reveal far less discrimination. Next, we demonstrate that children's religious cognition often matches adults' implicit responses, revealing anthropomorphic notions of God's mind. Together, data from children and adults suggest the intuitive nature of perceiving God's mind as human-like. We then propose three complementary explanations for why anthropomorphism persists in adulthood, suggesting that anthropomorphism may be (a) an instance of the anchoring and adjustment heuristic; (b) a reflection of early testimony; and/or (c) an evolutionary byproduct.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan D Lane
- Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
| | - Adam Waytz
- Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
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38
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Whitson JA, Galinsky AD, Kay A. The emotional roots of conspiratorial perceptions, system justification, and belief in the paranormal. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2014.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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39
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Knight CG, Tobin SJ, Hornsey MJ. From fighting the system to embracing it: control loss promotes system justification among those high in psychological reactance. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2014.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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40
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Banerjee K, Bloom P. Why did this happen to me? Religious believers' and non-believers' teleological reasoning about life events. Cognition 2014; 133:277-303. [PMID: 25064830 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2014.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
People often believe that significant life events happen for a reason. In three studies, we examined evidence for the view that teleological beliefs reflect a general cognitive bias to view the world in terms of agency, purpose, and design. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that individual differences in mentalizing ability predicted both the tendency to believe in fate (Study 1) and to infer purposeful causes of one's own life events (Study 2). In addition, people's perception of purpose in life events was correlated with their teleological beliefs about nature, but this relationship was driven primarily by individuals' explicit religious and paranormal beliefs (Study 3). Across all three studies, we found that while people who believe in God hold stronger teleological beliefs than those who do not, there is nonetheless evidence of teleological beliefs among non-believers, confirming that the perception of purpose in life events does not rely on theistic belief. These findings suggest that the tendency to perceive design and purpose in life events-while moderated by theistic belief-is not solely a consequence of culturally transmitted religious ideas. Rather, this teleological bias has its roots in certain more general social propensities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konika Banerjee
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Paul Bloom
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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41
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Shepherd S, Kay AC. When Government Confidence Undermines Public Involvement in Modern Disasters. SOCIAL COGNITION 2014. [DOI: 10.1521/soco.2014.32.3.206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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42
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Tang S, Shepherd S, Kay AC. Do difficult decisions motivate belief in fate? A test in the context of the 2012 U.S. presidential election. Psychol Sci 2014; 25:1046-8. [PMID: 24519854 DOI: 10.1177/0956797613519448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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43
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Hess YD, Ledgerwood A. Bolstering system-justifying beliefs in response to social exclusion. GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS 2013. [DOI: 10.1177/1368430213510572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Integrating research on social exclusion with the broader literature on system justification and flexible responses to threats, we propose a novel coping strategy that individuals may use in the face of social exclusion. In particular, we suggest that because exclusion often feels unexpected, it will lead individuals to bolster the system-justifying worldview that people get what they deserve, as excluded individuals attempt to cognitively cope with the threatened order and predictability of their world. Supporting our prediction, in Study 1, social exclusion (vs. inclusion) led participants to increasingly endorse descriptive meritocratic beliefs suggesting that hard work leads to success in society. This effect was mediated by the perceived unexpectedness of the interaction outcome, providing key evidence for our hypothesized process. Study 2 used individual differences in rejection sensitivity to provide further support for our unexpectedness account, demonstrating that exclusion heightens meritocratic beliefs only insofar as participants tend to find exclusions unexpected. The results expand our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms by which people cope with social exclusion and highlight the malleability of system-justifying ideologies in response to interpersonal factors.
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Abstract
Across five studies, we found that awe increases both supernatural belief (Studies 1, 2, and 5) and intentional-pattern perception (Studies 3 and 4)-two phenomena that have been linked to agency detection, or the tendency to interpret events as the consequence of intentional and purpose-driven agents. Effects were both directly and conceptually replicated, and mediational analyses revealed that these effects were driven by the influence of awe on tolerance for uncertainty. Experiences of awe decreased tolerance for uncertainty, which, in turn, increased the tendency to believe in nonhuman agents and to perceive human agency in random events.
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45
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Greenaway KH, Louis WR, Hornsey MJ, Jones JM. Perceived control qualifies the effects of threat on prejudice. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 53:422-42. [PMID: 24006898 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2012] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
People sometimes show a tendency to lash out in a prejudiced manner when they feel threatened. This research shows that the relationship between threat and prejudice is moderated by people's levels of perceived control: Threat leads to prejudice only when people feel concurrently low in control. In two studies, terrorist threat was associated with heightened prejudice among people who were low in perceived control over the threat (Study 1; N = 87) or over their lives in general (Study 2; N = 2,394), but was not associated with prejudice among people who were high in perceived control. Study 3 (N = 139) replicated this finding experimentally in the context of the Global Financial Crisis. The research identifies control as an important ingredient in threatening contexts that, if bolstered, can reduce general tendencies to lash out under threat.
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46
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Zuckerman M, Silberman J, Hall JA. The relation between intelligence and religiosity: a meta-analysis and some proposed explanations. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2013; 17:325-54. [PMID: 23921675 DOI: 10.1177/1088868313497266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A meta-analysis of 63 studies showed a significant negative association between intelligence and religiosity. The association was stronger for college students and the general population than for participants younger than college age; it was also stronger for religious beliefs than religious behavior. For college students and the general population, means of weighted and unweighted correlations between intelligence and the strength of religious beliefs ranged from -.20 to -.25 (mean r = -.24). Three possible interpretations were discussed. First, intelligent people are less likely to conform and, thus, are more likely to resist religious dogma. Second, intelligent people tend to adopt an analytic (as opposed to intuitive) thinking style, which has been shown to undermine religious beliefs. Third, several functions of religiosity, including compensatory control, self-regulation, self-enhancement, and secure attachment, are also conferred by intelligence. Intelligent people may therefore have less need for religious beliefs and practices.
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47
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Sullivan D, Landau MJ, Kay AC. Toward a Comprehensive Understanding of Existential Threat: Insights from Paul Tillich. SOCIAL COGNITION 2012. [DOI: 10.1521/soco.2012.30.6.734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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48
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Stephens NM, Fryberg SA, Markus HR, Hamedani MG. Who Explains Hurricane Katrina and the Chilean Earthquake as an Act of God? The Experience of Extreme Hardship Predicts Religious Meaning-Making. JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1177/0022022112454330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Two studies utilized firsthand accounts from survivors of two major natural disasters—Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Chilean earthquake in 2010—to investigate (1) how people make sense of their disaster experiences and (2) who understands these events in religious terms. We found that describing the disasters as an act of God was among the most common explanations. Moreover, the degree to which survivors encountered extreme hardship—unpredictable, disruptive, and uncontrollable experiences—predicted explanations of the events as an act of God. These findings held even after controlling for demographic factors (educational attainment and race/ethnicity) known to be associated with religiosity. Notably, objective experiences (e.g., seeing dead bodies) were better predictors of religious meaning-making than relatively subjective psychological reactions to those experiences (e.g., fear). These studies extend the literature by examining how experiences of hardship in real-world contexts underlie religious meaning-making and suggest that religiosity emerges, in part, from variation in individual experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Stephens
- Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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49
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Abstract
The need to belong can motivate belief in God. In Study 1, 40 undergraduates read bogus astrophysics articles "proving" God's existence or not offering proof. Participants in the proof-for-God condition reported higher belief in God (compared to control) when they chronically imagined God as accepting but lower belief in God when they imagined God as rejecting. Additionally, in Study 2 (72 undergraduates), these effects did not occur when participants' belongingness need was satisfied by priming close others. Study 3 manipulated 79 Internet participants' image of God. Chronic believers in the God-is-rejecting condition reported lower religious behavioral intentions than chronic believers in the God-is-accepting condition, and this effect was mediated by lower desires for closeness with God. In Study 4 (106 Internet participants), chronic believers with an accepting image of God reported that their belief in God is motivated by belongingness needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen E Gebauer
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Psychologie, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Deutschland.
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50
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Wang CS, Whitson JA, Menon T. Culture, Control, and Illusory Pattern Perception. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2012. [DOI: 10.1177/1948550611433056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Lacking control causes illusory pattern perception, but does culture influence the patterns people perceive? Different cultural contexts invite distinct types of control, with people from Western cultures emphasizing primary control methods (i.e., personal agency) and people from East Asian cultures emphasizing secondary control methods (i.e., adjustment to surroundings). Four experiments suggest that cultural differences in primary versus secondary control orientation shape the patterns people perceive within horoscopes. When lacking (vs. possessing) control, Westerners are relatively more likely to rely on horoscopes that help them understand themselves, whereas East Asians are relatively more likely to rely on horoscopes that help them understand others. The authors isolate underlying mechanisms, demonstrating that, following loss of control, people high on primary control rely on self-focused horoscopes and people high on secondary control rely on horoscopes about friends. Thus, cultural differences in primary versus secondary control create unique signatures in pattern perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia S. Wang
- Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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