New evidence on religion

Most people don’t relate the concepts of religion and evidence because, by its definition, religion involves a faith or belief outside of facts and data. Nonetheless, there are plenty of researchers who have dedicated their careers to studying how religion impacts people and society. So I was intrigued to come across a new meta-analysis last week that delved into the relationship between intelligence and religiosity.

The analysis, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Review, examined 63 studies conducted between 1928 and 2012. It concluded that people with religious beliefs tend to score lower on analytic intelligence tests compared to people who are not religious.

For many, this is a controversial conclusion for sure. Certainly, it’s worth pointing out that the review is a statistical correlation of data – not a description of individuals. Clearly, some people are very religious and also very intelligent, while others are not very religious or intelligent.

It’s also worth noting how the authors measured religiosity: belief in the supernatural, offering gifts to the supernatural, performing rituals affirming their beliefs, church attendance, and membership in religious organizations.

The authors also offer three potential explanations for their conclusions that analytical intelligence is inversely related to religiosity:

  • People who are more intelligent also tend to be less likely to conform to social norms, therefor they are more likely to resist religious dogma.
  • People who score well on analytical intelligence tests do not like to accept beliefs that are not subject to empirical tests or logical reasoning.
  • And intelligence provides some of the same benefits as religion, such as a sense of control, self-worth and the ability to delay gratification.

If you’re interested in learning more, there is an interesting article on the review in the online magazine ars technica.

It’s also worth noting there are other systematic reviews focused on the benefits of religion – specifically on the mental health of vulnerable populations, coping with trauma, and health behaviors among young people, to name a few.

The take-home messages: While religion is a complex subject for researchers, there is some interesting evidence that sheds light on what it means for individuals and society.

Comments

  1. ivank says:

    a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

  2. Over the years I have presented this view to my friends. I have always maintained that people who use logical reasoning versus emotional reasoning tend to be agnostic or atheist. I have noticed among my religious and non-religious friends, that my religious friends are prone to fall for spam emails, forward chain letters. Their intelligence can be seen and it is different with a more religious (I mean those studying religion properly) it logically higher than just religion alone.

  3. GALAUPOKER.com Agen Judi Poker dan Domino, Taruhan Poker Dan Domino Uang Asli Terpercaya says:

    The volume and quality of research on what we term the religion-health connection have increased markedly in recent years. This interest in the complex relationships between religion and mental and physical health is being fueled by energetic and innovative research programs in several fields, including sociology, psychology, health behavior and health education, psychiatry, gerontology, and social epidemiology. This article has three main objectives: (1) to briefly review the medical and epidemiologic research on religious factors and both physical health and mental health; (2) to identify the most promising explanatory mechanisms for religious effects on health, giving particular attention to the relationships between religious factors and the central constructs of the life stress paradigm, which guides most current social and behavioral research on health outcomes; and (3) to critique previous work on religion and health, pointing out limitations and promising new research directions.

  4. Zona Sedap says:

    May be true that the admin mentioned here about the impact of religious when viewed in terms of intelligence. Probably because the people who are not religious do not think of more in addition to the personal affairs than affairs of the religion of God. But personally I think religion is important without any religious teachings and moral values ​​are good things that will certainly be more to come, so it can also affect the condition of harmony in every state. But so far everything about this opinion and the difference is normal, the difference also bebmuat balance.

  5. Sri Wahyuni says:

    with religion we can manage all of our lives for the better, because religion gives the rules that will make us walk on the right path, and religion also govern our relationships fellow human beings, not to hurt each other

  6. Jaket Kulit Wanita dan Pria says:

    Their intelligence can be seen and it is different with a more religious (I mean those studying religion properly) it logically higher than just religion alone.

  7. I see from my friends who were highly engaged with religion and friends who just religion alone. Their intelligence can be seen and it is different with a more religious (I mean those studying religion properly) it logically higher than just religion alone. Moreover, although not religious but unfortunately still not smart enough.

  8. aziz maulana says:

    The volume and quality of research on what we term the religion-health connection have increased markedly in recent years. This interest in the complex relationships between religion and mental and physical health is being fueled by energetic and innovative research programs in several fields, including sociology, psychology, health behavior and health education, psychiatry, gerontology, and social epidemiology. This article has three main objectives: (1) to briefly review the medical and epidemiologic research on religious factors and both physical health and mental health; (2) to identify the most promising explanatory mechanisms for religious effects on health, giving particular attention to the relationships between religious factors and the central constructs of the life stress paradigm, which guides most current social and behavioral research on health outcomes; and (3) to critique previous work on religion and health, pointing out limitations and promising new research directions.

  9. Derrick Johnson says:

    Over the years I have presented this view to my friends. I have always maintained that people who use logical reasoning versus emotional reasoning tend to be agnostic or atheist. I have noticed among my religious and non-religious friends, that my religious friends are prone to fall for spam emails, forward chain letters, ask questions without applying all the information presented to them, are morally suspect, believe ridiculous situations without questioning and also refuse accept facts that are contrary to what they believe, however my atheist friends tend to apply reason and logic to most situations, take in most of the information presented to them before asking questions, and also appear to be morally grounded. This is not 100% of course, however this appears to happen more often than not.

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