Looks Like It Is Not Causal: Effects of Activation of Religiosity and Spirituality on the Contaminated Mindware

• Published in: Psychology of religion and spirituality 2025-02, Vol.17 (1), p.10-17
• Main Authors: Nowak, Bartłomiej, Myers, Luke A., Brzóska, Paweł M., Duffy, Nicole, Good, Natasha, Piotrowski, Jarosław P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bayesian analysis; Cognitive ability; Cognitive style; Conspiracy; Conspiracy Beliefs; Female; Human; Male; Parapsychological Phenomena; Parapsychology; Religiosity; Short forms; Spirituality; Worldview
• ISSN: 1941-1022; 1943-1562
• DOI: 10.1037/rel0000525

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of activating religiosity and spirituality on beliefs that comprise contaminated mindware (i.e., paranormal, pseudoscience, and conspiracy beliefs). In order to test this assumption, we conducted three experimental studies (combined sample N = 499) in which religiosity and spirituality were activated (by answering three kinds of questions). Dependent variables were measured by short scales of paranormal, pseudoscientific, and conspiracy beliefs. Obtained results show that activating religiosity and spirituality does not contribute to an increase in beliefs that comprise contaminated mindware. Additional Bayesian analyses show that our data provide at least moderate evidence for the null hypotheses to be true. In the light of conducted experiments, the positive relationship between spirituality, religiosity, and contaminated mindware observed in previous works seems to not have a causal nature. Instead, it may result from indirect factors such as cognitive abilities, cognitive styles, or worldviews.