A study published in Religion, Brain & Behavior provides new insights into how sorcery beliefs and practices in Mauritius are related to rule-breaking and resource-sharing behaviors.
A recent brain study conducted among evangelical Christians offers insight into the brain activation patterns associated with religious experiences. The findings, published in the journal Social Neuroscience, suggest that religious worship involves three neural networks — the auditory network, the salience network,...
A Polish study published in the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality found evidence that clergymen and nuns from the Roman Catholic Church enjoy better mental health than the general population. The findings further suggested that spiritual openness may be one pathway...
According to a study published in the Journal of Religion and Health, low religiosity in adulthood is associated with an increased risk for developing Parkinson’s Disease (PD), among both England and United States populations.
In September 2017, Puerto Rico was hit by two devastating hurricanes Irma and Maria. Puerto Rico is also a predominantly Christian territory and positive religious coping strategies have been shown to be beneficial for mental health. New research published in...
New research suggests that a person's own religious beliefs play an important role in how they perceive harassment of atheist employees. The study, published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, found that Evangelical Christians are less likely to perceive a...
In general, most Western Christians and non-believers alike tend to associate God with “upper space” (i.e., heaven, higher power) and the devil with “lower space” (i.e., depths of hell, underground). New research published in Religion, Brain, & Behavior provides more...
New research published in Justice Quarterly call into question the long-term effectiveness of religious programming in prisons. The study found no evidence that religious engagement in prison was associated with reduced recidivism among a group of inmates with substance abuse...
A study published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion found that believing in supernatural evil is a strong predictor of more restrictive attitudes on immigration. The researchers suggest that people who endorse strict boundaries between spiritual good and evil...
Agnosticism and atheism are often categorized into one “nonreligious” group in research despite these being distinct belief systems. New research published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality finds that people do have distinct stereotypes that differentiate agnosticism and atheism from...
A large study published in the journal Political Psychology suggests that the link between conspiracy belief and religiosity is rooted in cognitive similarities between the two beliefs. The overall findings suggest that people with higher conspiracy belief also tend to be more...
Both parenthood and parental care motivation are linked to higher levels of religiosity, according to new research published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. The study provides evidence that parents are drawn to religion because it fosters social norms that...
The number of Americans who identify as Christian has been steadily declining in recent years. New research published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggests that learning about these changes in demographics leads to a perceived threat to one’s...
Religion can be a significant, comforting part of many peoples’ lives and has been linked to positive mental health outcomes. A study published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion suggests a more complicated relationship between religion and...
Religion can play a major role in many people's lives, but it often benefits men over women. A new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society suggests that men are less religious in countries with higher levels of gender...