Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Psychology of Religion

Religious believers see compatibility with science, while science enthusiasts perceive conflict

by Eric W. Dolan
December 24, 2024
in Psychology of Religion, Social Psychology
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay informed on the latest psychology and neuroscience research—follow PsyPost on LinkedIn for daily updates and insights.

A recent study published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality explored the relationship between belief systems and perceptions of science and religion. It found that individuals with strong religious beliefs tend to see science and religion as compatible, whereas those who strongly believe in science are more likely to perceive conflict. These findings offer new insights into how different meaning systems shape people’s understanding of the relationship between these two domains.

The relationship between science and religion has been a subject of debate for centuries. Some view them as complementary ways of understanding the world, while others see them as fundamentally opposed. Previous studies have often focused on contexts where science and religion are directly compared or juxtaposed, leaving unanswered questions about how belief in one influences perceptions of their compatibility independently of the other.

The researchers aimed to address this gap by examining the extent to which belief in science and religion, as distinct systems of meaning, predicts perceptions of science–religion compatibility or conflict. By recruiting participants from diverse cultural and religious contexts, the researchers sought to provide a broader understanding of how these beliefs interact across different settings.

“My main research interest lies in understanding how people find meaning and make sense of reality,” said study author Natalia Zarzeczna, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Essex. “I see science and religion as meaning systems that can each contribute to finding meaning by answering epistemic (what are the origins of the universe?) and existential (does life have meaning?) questions. I am interested in understanding how people create worldviews based on science and religion to explain reality, to what extent these worldviews have the capacity to provide different types of meaning, and whether they come into conflict.”

The study included 684 participants from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Kazakhstan. These countries were chosen for their varying levels of religiosity and cultural backgrounds: the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are predominantly secular with Christian minorities, while Kazakhstan is a Muslim-majority nation.

Participants completed an online survey designed to measure their belief in science and religious belief as independent constructs. Belief in science was assessed through participants’ agreement with statements about the reliability and comprehensiveness of science as a way of understanding reality, without explicitly comparing it to religion. Similarly, religious belief was measured through self-reported religiosity, focusing on participants’ personal faith and spiritual practices without referencing science.

To assess perceptions of science–religion compatibility, participants rated the extent to which they saw the two as harmonious or conflicting, particularly concerning existential and ontological questions, such as the origins of life and the universe.

Across all countries, participants with stronger religious beliefs were more likely to perceive science and religion as compatible. This association persisted regardless of participants’ level of belief in science, suggesting that religious individuals often integrate scientific principles into their worldview without seeing them as a threat to their faith.

In contrast, stronger belief in science was associated with perceptions of conflict between science and religion. Participants who viewed science as the best way of knowing tended to perceive religious beliefs as incompatible with scientific principles. This finding reflects the differing epistemological foundations of the two systems: science relies on empirical evidence and natural laws, while religion often incorporates supernatural explanations.

“Religious people can combine multiple sources of meaning and use both science and religion to find meaning in their lives,” Zarzeczna told PsyPost. “Believers in science seemingly only use science and possibly look for additional sources of meaning elsewhere.”

Interestingly, the association between belief in science and perceived conflict was stronger in more secular countries like the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, while religious belief’s association with compatibility was particularly pronounced in the predominantly Muslim context of Kazakhstan.

Zarzeczna also highlighted “an interesting contradiction.” The researchers discovered that people with strong religious beliefs were more likely to view science and religion as compatible. However, they also found that stronger religious beliefs were linked to weaker belief in science.

“While religious believers, in both Christian and Muslim contexts, strongly believe in compatibility between science and religion, they also show low belief in science as a way of understanding reality,” Zarzeczna explained. “This is counter-intuitive because believing in science-religion compatibility should logically stem from a combination of equally positive (or negative) attitudes toward each. Possibly, being able to combine two meaning sources, science and religion, reduces the perceived usefulness of each as a good way of understanding reality.”

The researchers controlled for age, gender, education level, political orientation, spirituality, religious upbringing, religious orthodoxy, years of formal education, and science literacy. However, like all research, this study has some caveats.

“We looked at only one aspect of attitudes toward science—belief in science as the best way of understanding reality—to examine how it contributes to science-religion compatibility beliefs,” Zarzeczna noted. “Although it is likely that other aspects of science attitudes (e.g., scientific optimism) would be associated with conflict beliefs to the same extent as belief in science, it is important to address this directly in future research.”

“Also, our study doesn’t explain why religious believers and believers in science have conflicting views on the science and religion relationship. It would be interesting to test what psychological needs or motivations, beyond socio-cultural influences, contribute to these perceptions of compatibility and incompatibility.”

Nevertheless, by exploring these dynamics across diverse cultural and religious contexts, the research opens new avenues for understanding how individuals reconcile—or fail to reconcile—different ways of knowing. Future studies can build on this work to investigate the psychological and cultural factors that shape perceptions of compatibility and conflict.

“Using unobtrusive physiological methods measuring arousal, which are free from self-report biases, we are trying to establish whether science-religion compatibility perceptions constitute an important worldview to religious individuals and how motivated religious individuals are to defend the compatibility view when threatened,” Zarzeczna said.

“If readers are interested in learning more about the relationship between science-religion, we review the most recent literature on this topic in a book chapter in the Handbook of the Science of Existential Psychology that will be published in 2025: Zarzeczna, N. & Haimila, R. (2025). Science and Religion: Meaning-Making Tools Competing to Explain the World. K. E. Vail, III, et al. (Eds). Handbook of the Science of Existential Psychology.”

The study, “The Feeling Is Not Mutual: Religious Belief Predicts Compatibility Between Science and Religion, but Scientific Belief Predicts Conflict,” was authored by Natalia Zarzeczna email the author, Jesse L. Preston, Adil Samekin, Carlotta Reinhardt, Aidos Bolatov, Zukhra Mussinova, Urazgali Selteyev, Gulmira Topanova, and Bastiaan T. Rutjens.

TweetSendScanShareSendPinShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Bullshit is deemed more credible if attributed to a scientist, compared to a spiritual guru
Social Psychology

Scientists who relocate more often start Nobel research up to two years earlier

July 8, 2025

A new study of Nobel Prize winners suggests that scientists who change locations or work in multiple places tend to begin their groundbreaking research earlier, highlighting how exposure to diverse environments may help spark innovative, high-impact ideas.

Read moreDetails
The most popular dementia videos on TikTok tend to have the lowest quality, study find
Addiction

People with short-video addiction show altered brain responses during decision-making

July 8, 2025

People who frequently use short-video apps like TikTok may show reduced loss sensitivity and impulsive decision-making, according to a new neuroimaging study that links addictive use patterns to changes in brain activity during risky choices.

Read moreDetails
People with psychopathic traits fail to learn from painful outcomes
Narcissism

National narcissism linked to emotional impairments and dehumanization, new study finds

July 7, 2025

A new study suggests that people who see their nation as uniquely important often struggle with recognizing emotions and experience more anger and contempt—factors that may help explain why they’re more likely to dehumanize both outsiders and fellow citizens.

Read moreDetails
Anxious and avoidant attachment are elevated among individuals with eating disorders
Developmental Psychology

Personality may be a key factor connecting negative parenting experiences to adult challenges

July 7, 2025

New research finds a link between how adults recall being parented and their current life difficulties. These challenges may be partly explained by personality traits, such as lower conscientiousness, that are connected to early family environments and adult well-being.

Read moreDetails
Loneliness predicts an increase in TV viewing for older women, but not for men
Sexism

New study finds link between sexism and denial of male victimhood in relationships

July 6, 2025

New research shows that many people endorse myths that minimize abuse against men in relationships. These myths are closely tied to sexist attitudes about masculinity, gender roles, and who is believed to be a “real” victim of violence.

Read moreDetails
Fascinating study reveals how Trump’s moral rhetoric diverges from common Republican language
Donald Trump

Viral AI-images highlight how Trump engages in “victimcould,” scholar argues

July 6, 2025

How can one of the world's most powerful men also be its biggest victim? A new paper argues it’s a political strategy based on hypothetical, not actual, harm—a concept the author calls “victimcould” used to justify present-day aggression.

Read moreDetails
Stress disrupts gut and brain barriers by reducing key microbial metabolites, study finds
Narcissism

How to protect your mental health from a passive-aggressive narcissist

July 5, 2025

Passive aggression is more than just frustrating; it’s a weapon. When someone consistently uses backhanded compliments, sabotage, or the silent treatment, you may be dealing with a narcissist. Here’s how to spot the signs and protect your mental wellbeing.

Read moreDetails
Stress disrupts gut and brain barriers by reducing key microbial metabolites, study finds
Artificial Intelligence

Dark personality traits linked to generative AI use among art students

July 5, 2025

As generative AI tools become staples in art education, a new study uncovers who misuses them most. Research on Chinese art students connects "dark traits" like psychopathy to academic dishonesty, negative thinking, and a heavier reliance on AI technologies.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Neuroscientists decode how people juggle multiple items in working memory

Inside the bored brain: Unlocking the power of the default mode network

Choline imbalance in the brain linked to with cognitive symptoms in young depression patients

Scientists who relocate more often start Nobel research up to two years earlier

Sedentary time linked to faster brain aging in older adults, study finds

People with short-video addiction show altered brain responses during decision-making

New study uncovers a surprising effect of cold-water immersion

Being adopted doesn’t change how teens handle love and dating

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy