Faith in a Higher Power: The Study of Religion in Psychology


Azim Shariff

Michael Inzlicht, University of Toronto, opened the “Toward a Cognitive Science of Religion: Insights From Personality and Social Psychology” symposium in a somewhat unorthodox fashion: “By show of hands, who in this room would say they have a personal belief in God or religious affiliation.” After noting that roughly 10 – 20 percent of the standing-room-only crowd had raised their hands, he commented, “That’s about right in terms of degree of religious belief among psychologists.”

Although religious belief is a cornerstone for roughly 85 percent of the world’s population, it has never been the most popular subject of study among psychologists. However, there has been a surge of interest in religion within the past two years, and the symposium, held at the APS 21st Annual Convention, highlighted recent research on this topic.

Inzlicht and Kristin Laurin, University of Waterloo (presenting on behalf of Aaron C. Kay) discussed their findings on how religion affects people’s daily lives. A basic finding is that religion supports people’s need to feel personal control over events in their lives and reduces anxiety in the face of events that are out of their control or that simply do not meet their expectations. But there’s more to it than that.  Laurin’s presentation centered around Kay’s compensatory control model, which holds that “it’s not only the belief in personal control that helps protect people against feelings of randomness, disorder, and chaos, but also the belief that the world is under control and…under the control of God.” Thus, a belief in a controlling God may be interchangeable with a sense of personal control and helps one to deal with events that are genuinely beyond their control. Inzlicht’s research found a more direct neurophysiological effect: “Believers” showed lower activity in their anterior cingulate cortex than did “nonbelievers” after making an error in a Stroop task, suggesting they were less anxious and distressed about their mistakes. Religion, it was suggested, could buffer people from the affective consequences of their own errors.

What are the origins of religion and what are its broader effects on culture? Azim Shariff, University of British Columbia, argues that religion originally evolved as a tool for group coordination and that it fostered cooperation among strangers. It was certainly successful in this aspect, as religious cultures have historically outcompeted nonreligious cultures. However, religion’s effect goes beyond its presence or absence in a culture — specific beliefs also make a direct impact on social mores. In a study using students with various religious beliefs, Shariff found that those who described God in harsh, strict terms were less likely to cheat on a task than were those who described a more forgiving God. Further exploring the links between religion and culture, Adam B. Cohen, Arizona State University, examined how religion may play a role in the development of individualistic or collectivistic cultures. Specifically, he noted how individualist nature in the United States is reflected by Protestantism (the religion of many of the country’s original settlers) — in which public, communal displays are unnecessary and one’s faith is regarded as a “personal relationship with God.”

Religion is central to the lives of many people, and psychology has been relatively quiet on the issue. Inzlicht hopes that will change: “To the extent that psychology should care what people believe in, we should be studying religion.”

Comments

Both faith and fear are perceptions of one’s future outcomes. That is why they are so powerful; they are perceptions of the mind. Faith can be used to control someone, or free someone; depending on the religion. Faith must have a cognitive, measurable biological effect on one. Faith can make someone turn their lives around if caught up in the wrong lifestyle. It can also be used to drive an individual to strap bombs on their person and harm people unrelated to their issues. Faith and fear, both are very powerful. Fear has a causal effect and is a symptom in many mental health disorders. Fear causes many of these issues, while faith cures many of them.

What are better ways to raise human beings than to instruct them that they will burn in fire forever if they committ a serious injustice to society such as stealing a candy bar? If god is looking out for us than why are there African children with bloated bellies dying of starvation? I believe that there are so many excuses created for god’s inaction in this world. I wonder how many man hours are used in the act of praying that could be used to create some real good in the world. I hope that more of humanity gives up on this myth of a supernatural being so that people can shrug off the myth and love one another.

First of all, no one will burn forever in the fire eternally. This doctrine is the worst erroneous doctrine every created and is no where taught in the bible. Those who believe it have not studied below the surface. If some wish to stay in the minority on this issue of belief/faith, than they can do so. But the best of health resides with those of faith. That is irrefutable science. Regarding the children in Africa, the problem is less about God’s inactivity and more about man’s selfishness and greed. It’s well documented that the food that is given to the poor often finds it’s way into the hands of thieves who then try to turn a profit from the donated food.

I support the presentation of Michael Inzlich and the comments; and thus I have an idea of states to enact laws that govern religious sects not to mislead people psych basing faith, thus causing disasters and death. Such laws will assist religions to respect human dignity and rights. When someone’s psych is affected or indoctrinized especially in relation to faith on supernatural powers, that person can do or believe in doing anything in that respect even to die or kill. Like the faithful who were burned in the church as they were made to believe that the end of the world has reached

It seems to me that much in Christianity that one is expected to accept on faith is not believable. When you couple that with the threat of eternal damnation if you cannot bring yourself to believe these ideas, it is a near perfect recipe for mental health problems. Cognitive dissonance is what it is called. I think one would be better off mentally if one would avoid trying to make yourself accept ideas on faith alone.


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