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Seeling Thesis Revised 2-6-24.pdf (565.37 KB)

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Thoughts and Prayers: Exploring How Mortality Salience Affects Need for Cognition Among Christians and Atheists

Seeling, Ashley Diane
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1706816143515095

Abstract Details

2023, Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
A large body of research has investigated the role of religious belief within terror management theory and the cognitive science of religion, with interesting results emerging for atheists as compared to religious individuals. While atheists explicitly disavow religion, implicit measurement techniques have revealed an intuitive belief in religious concepts, particularly following reminders of death (Jong et al., 2012). However, to date, no studies have directly observed the cognitive processes that underlie these effects. In response to this gap in the literature, the present study seeks to propose and test a model of the cognitive pathways utilized by religious and atheistic individuals as they manage existential concerns. Specifically, this model proposes that following mortality salience (MS), both religious and atheistic individuals experience intuitive religious belief due to evolutionary cognitive biases. These intuitions are then consciously shaped in accordance with explicitly endorsed ideologies, leading religious individuals to accept intuitive religious belief and atheistic individuals to override their intuitions with a more analytic orientation. As such, the present study hypothesized that MS (compared to pain) would lead to decreased need for cognition (NFC) in Christians but increased NFC in atheists. In a sample of 248 adults, an ANOVA indicated that Christians primed with MS reported lower NFC than those primed with pain, while the opposite effect emerged for atheists, providing compelling evidence for the proposed model. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
Kenneth Vail, III (Advisor)
Kathleen Reardon (Committee Member)
Michael Horvath (Committee Member)
Eric Allard (Committee Member)
78 p.
Psychology; Religion; Social Psychology
Terror management theory; mortality salience; cognitive science of religion; dual process; need for cognition; atheists

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Seeling, A. D. (2023). Thoughts and Prayers: Exploring How Mortality Salience Affects Need for Cognition Among Christians and Atheists [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1706816143515095

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Seeling, Ashley. Thoughts and Prayers: Exploring How Mortality Salience Affects Need for Cognition Among Christians and Atheists. 2023. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1706816143515095.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Seeling, Ashley. "Thoughts and Prayers: Exploring How Mortality Salience Affects Need for Cognition Among Christians and Atheists." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1706816143515095

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1706816143515095
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© 2023, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.