Midterm I - Psych Relig Flashcards
Define Fundamentalism
belief in one essential and unchangeable teaching or truth about human nature or deity(ies), which is opposed by forces of evil that must be fought. Individual has a special relationship with God. Us. vs. them that conflicts with social or political life.
Define Authoritarianism
submission and aggression: submission to authority perceived to be established and legit in society. Aggression against deviants and outgroup perceived to be targets according to those authorities.
Define prejudice
preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience, harm or injury that results
Examples of fundamentalism:
Jesus camp: “we don’t have to debate about what to believe, it’s written in the bible”
Suicide killers: “I’m not making this stuff up, it’s in the Quran!” There is no other way but through Islam (Key to paradise) Kill the enemies of Islam and seeing everyone as attacking Islam if they don’t believe
Examples of authoritarianism:
Jesus camp: “There are two kinds of people, those who love jesus and those who don’t”; and there is something just not right about non-christians. Seeing the world as sick.
Suicide Killers: Everyone who is not following Jihad is against Jihad.
How does one come to be a suicide bomber?
- Individuals grow up being trained to fight, being exposed to ideals from birth. To be a parent of martyr is greatest honor, whole families readily sacrificing children, forgiveness by God bestowed upon many members.
- Honor, social status, dedication to the leader, need to belong
- Moral obligation, desire to enter Heaven
How does religion function in the life of a would-be suicide bomber in the examples we observed – what is the psychological purpose of religion for these individuals?
- Expectation of gaining stature and respect as martyr.
- Quest for emotional and social support by those by feel rejected by local societies. Islamic dictatorship keep people in poverty and miserable in humiliation economically, socially, and politically. This legitimate act will make them more important. Reject shame by sacrificing self.
- Men confuse weapons for erections: they turn virility into muscle, power, and aggression, and possession over women’s bodies
How do children learn about science and religion?
- Children trust what adults tell them about scientific stuff and rework into coherent concept - role of the brain, shape of earth, and biological constraints on life
- Trust is transferred to hidden properties like religious claims, immortality, omnipotence and omniscience of God, efficacy of prayer, and life after death.
- They assume the claims they heart regarding these things are on same footing as other claims they cannot verify firsthand.
What is the status of research in this area (general summary, specific research example)?
- Study of 6-11 year olds – although alternative mental models were identified, most frequent model was sphere for all children
- Study of impact of testimony of hidden body parts – life theorizers were more likely to mention life-maintaining function of body parts and function of those organs
To what extent is scientific and religious knowledge based in trust in testimony or first-hand experience?
a. Many adult beliefs are based on testimony than on firsthand observation
b. Children rely on adult testimony for key pieces of info about causations and ontological features of the world. Testimony amplifies belief in proven science data. Understanding religious things (unverifiable firsthand) extend beyond science. d. Children seem to conceptualize unobservable scientific and religious entities similarly.
c. They draw out generalizations, register anomalies, and seek to resolve them.
d. Makes them gullible toward spiritual claims that aren’t grounded in science
Examples from Jesus Camp of firsthand experience / testimony?
Testimony: camp leader asks who wants to accept Jesus into hearts, and girl’s mom raises her hand for her
Firsthand: when little boy is reading book alone about how to accept Jesus (outside of community source)
Explain the fundamental reasoning of Terror Management Theory’s analysis of religion … where does our existential anxiety come from?
A conflict results from having desire to live, but knowledge of future death, which produces fear. We manage fear by embracing cultural values that give life meaning and value – including religion. Thoughts of death increase religious belief.
What is the cultural anxiety buffer (including standards of value, the cultural worldview, & self-esteem) and what purpose does it serve?
Cultural worldviews (which include standards of value and systems of meaning) provide anxiety buffering by providing immortality for those who live up to standards. Self-esteem is boosted by living up to them in socially sanctioned way and is a buffer to cope with anxiety and coping mechanism to deal with terror. Provides personal value and validity of cultural worldview.
Give examples of how anxiety buffers (including religious worldviews) promise us a degree of immortality (literal)
Literal: afterlife / reincarnation – aspects that endure beyond existence and not being alone. Religions provide this.
Give examples of how anxiety buffers (including religious worldviews) promise us a degree of immortality (symbolic)
institutional - anything that endures in time and spreads teachings.
Permanent marks on world - bigger houses, what we contribute, statements.
Children - propagation of genetic code and extensions of our worldview.
Explain the Mortality-Salience Hypothesis. Define it.
If one’s cultural worldview or self-esteem serves death-defying function, then threatening those constructs should produce defenses aimed at restoring psychological invulnerability.
Mortality-Salience Hypothesis – give an example of research that supports its validity, in terms of the existential-defensive functions of religion.
- Death reminders increased religiosity among christians. And increased agnostic’s faith in Buddha, Allah, and God.
- Act of using cross disrespectfully increased self-reported anxiety
What are the various contexts and processes of forgiveness? (see Varieties of Forgiveness article in particular: active vs. passive, intra vs. interpersonal, etc.).
- Intrapersonal: self: “you can forgive, but never forget”; “people make mistakes like I do.” letting go of wrong done to you.
- Interpersonal: acccpeting someone and remaining friends, understanding someone is sorry, accept what they did, let offender know they’re forgiven
- Active: accepting apology, second chances, making up
- Passive: letting past die, not bringing up act, no bad feelings / grudges
Forms of forgiveness:
a. Behavior: moving on / reconciling
b. Emotion: negative vs. positive - letting go of hard feelings, regaining trust
c. Thought: forgetting what happened, attitude - understanding no one is perfect
Dimensions of forgiveness:
Negative: both withdrawal or reduction of negative response
Positive: enhancement of positive responses
Research evidence forgiveness:
About 20% of participants said that forgiveness is both active and passive, while the other 80% were fairly evenly split between the two categories.
Forgiveness process:
You must come to terms with forgiveness on your own as well as have communication and understanding with the other person. Congruently, you must also diminish negative thoughts and feelings while increasing positive thoughts and feelings.
What do people want? (pleasure, success, service, Self). Why is each want dissatisfying until Self-realization?
- Pleasure: a brief satisfaction that sacrifices long goals. Dissatisfying b/c it is brief and cannot fulfill total nature. Problematically ephemeral.
- Worldly success: wealth, power, fame. Dissatisfying b/c They are competitive, fragile, insatiable, limited to oneself, and impermanent.
- Behave responsibly: service / duty. Dissatisfying b/c they leave human spirit unfulfilled due to only receiving rewards.
- Infinite being, knowledge, and bliss: liberation from any impediment that holds you back from complete fulfillment. Until realization, we are all susceptible to human psychological pain of disappointments related to human desires
Core paths of yoga:
- Jnana: Knowledge: intuition, common sense, discerning true knowledge disconnected from expectations, feelings, and past experiences.
- Bhakti: Love: loving lovers, friends, and family is loving God or loving designated deity first and foremost.
- Karma: Work: finding God in mundane, everyday life or work. Putting your whole self into work to reap reward of finding God.
- Raja: Psychophysical exercises: medication, stillness, and focus outside of self and external world.
