The Existential Function of Intrinsic Religiousness: Moderation of Effects of Priming Religion on Intercultural Tolerance and Afterlife Anxiety

Managing existential concerns is theorized to be a key function of religion. We posit that priming religion should be related to greater existential security for those high in intrinsic religiosity. In Experiment 1, priming religion increased intercultural tolerance among individuals who were highly...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the scientific study of religion 2013-09, Vol.52 (3), p.508-523
Main Authors: Van Tongeren, Daryl R., Raad, Jennifer M., McIntosh, Daniel N., Pae, Jessica
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Cognition & reasoning
Death
death anxiety
Effects
existential security
Experiments
General subjects. History of religions. Religious anthropology
History and sciences of religions
Individuals
Intercultural communication
intrinsic religion
meaning
priming
Religion
Religions
Religiosity
Security
Spirituality
Studies in religion
Threat
Tolerance
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Summary:Managing existential concerns is theorized to be a key function of religion. We posit that priming religion should be related to greater existential security for those high in intrinsic religiosity. In Experiment 1, priming religion increased intercultural tolerance among individuals who were highly intrinsically religious but decreased it for those low in intrinsic religiousness. In Experiment 2, intrinsic religiousness again moderated the effects of the prime, suggesting that priming religion resulted in attenuated afterlife anxiety for intrinsically religious individuals but greater anxiety for individuals low in intrinsic religiousness. Religious reminders appeared to provide existential security—evidenced by tolerance and reduced death anxiety—only to those high in intrinsic religiousness and can be threatening to those low in intrinsic religiousness. Existential outcomes are a specific case in which intrinsic religiousness can moderate the effects of religious primes, suggesting that religion plays a different existential role for different people.
ISSN:0021-8294
1468-5906
DOI:10.1111/jssr.12053