religion | SPSP

Psychology News Roundup: ICYMI September 14, 2020

Ancient sculptures, conspiracies, leadership, and closing doors: read what you may have missed in the world of personality and social psychology on this ICYMI roundup.

Recently in the news, written a post, or have selections you'd like us to consider? Email us, use the hashtag #SPSPblog, or tweet us directly @spspnews.

Read more about Psychology News Roundup: ICYMI September 14, 2020

Religious believers think God values the lives of out-group members more than they do themselves

Belief in all powerful supernatural entities that police moral behavior between people has been shown to promote prosocial behavior between co-religionists. But do these effects extend to members of different religious groups?

Read more about Religious believers think God values the lives of out-group members more than they do themselves

Does Being Religious Put People at Greater Risk of COVID-19?

All else being equal, religious people have better health outcomes than less religious people. But being at risk for COVID-19 may be a troubling exception to this rule.

Read more about Does Being Religious Put People at Greater Risk of COVID-19?

Emotions Matter More for People’s Life Satisfaction in Religious than Secular Countries

Freedom African Man Enjoying and relax with in green natural background

How much you use your feelings to judge the quality of your life may depend on whether your country is mostly religious or secular.

Read more about Emotions Matter More for People’s Life Satisfaction in Religious than Secular Countries

People’s Notions of a Perfect Life are Surprisingly Modest

Illustration of white picket fence in front of a green field and blue sky with clouds

When I was a kid I was always fascinated by genie-in-the-bottle scenarios, where people could choose three wishes. It’s a question that’s exciting but also weirdly stressful to ponder. If there were no limits to how you lived your life – if you could have for yourself whatever you wanted - what would you choose?

Read more about People’s Notions of a Perfect Life are Surprisingly Modest

Religious Affiliation Impacts Language Use on Facebook

Washington, D.C. - Are you more likely to use words like “happy” and “family” in your social media posts? Or do you use emotional and cognitive words like “angry” and “thinking?” The words you use may be a clue to your religious affiliation. A study of 12,815 U.S. and U.K. Facebook users finds use of positive emotion and social words is associated with religious affiliation whereas use of negative emotion and cognitive processes is more common for those who are not religious than those who are religious.

Read more about Religious Affiliation Impacts Language Use on Facebook

Psychology News Round-Up: ICYMI June 9, 2017

Each week, we recap featured posts from Character & Context and other blogs around the cyberspace, plus a few news stories and tweets worth a look. If you have an item you'd like us to consider, use the hashtag #SPSPblog or tweet us directly @spspnews.

Read more about Psychology News Round-Up: ICYMI June 9, 2017

How Many Atheists are There? It's Complicated

Using a subtle, indirect measurement technique, psychology researchers have found that there are probably a lot more atheists (people who don't believe in God) in the U.S. than show up in telephone polls.

Read more about How Many Atheists are There? It's Complicated

The Psychological and Social Importance of Postures During Worship

Why don’t people stand on their heads to pray?

Read more about The Psychological and Social Importance of Postures During Worship

Psychology News Round-Up: ICYMI September 7, 2018

This week's round-up includes an op-ed on the power of colloboration and integrated thinking. See what else you may have missed online.

Recently in the news, written a post, or have selections you'd like us to consider? Email us, use the hashtag #SPSPblog, or tweet us directly @spspnews.

Read more about Psychology News Round-Up: ICYMI September 7, 2018