ScienceDaily (Aug. 8, 2011) —
There may be a few atheists in foxholes, but a new study suggests that in
societies under stress, those who are religious outnumber -- and are happier
than -- their nonreligious counterparts. Where peace and plenty are the norm,
however, religious participation is lower and people are happier whether or not
they are religious, the researchers found.
A paper describing the research appears in
the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The study analyzed data from the 2005-2009 Gallup
World Poll, a survey of people in more than 150 countries that included
questions about religious affiliation, life satisfaction, respect, social
support and positive and negative feelings. The researchers also looked at 2009
Gallup polling data from the U.S.
This is the first study to analyze religion and its
relationship to happiness on a global scale, said University of Illinois
emeritus professor of psychology Ed Diener, who led the research and is a
senior scientist with the Gallup Organization.
Previous studies, many of them focused on the U.S.,
suggested that religious people tend to be happier than nonreligious people,
Diener said. The new findings indicate, however, that religiousness and
happiness are closely linked to the characteristics of the societies in which
people live, he said.
"Circumstances predict religiousness," he
said. "Difficult circumstances lead more strongly to people being
religious. And in religious societies and in difficult circumstances, religious
people are happier than nonreligious people. But in nonreligious societies or
more benign societies where many people's needs are met, religious people
aren't happier -- everyone's happier."
Religious affiliation appears to boost happiness
and wellbeing in societies that fail to provide adequate food, jobs, health
care, security and educational opportunities, the researchers found.
Religious people in religious societies are more
likely to report that they feel respected, receive more social support and experience
more positive and less negative feelings than their peers who are not
religious.
In secular societies, which in many cases are
wealthier and have more social supports, religious and nonreligious people
experience higher wellbeing and positive feelings. Religious people in secular
countries report more negative feelings than the nonreligious do, however.
The same trends can be seen in individual states of
the U.S., the researchers found, with more people reporting they are religious
in poorer states with fewer social supports, Diener said. Their religiousness
also seems to boost their wellbeing and positive feelings, compared to their
nonreligious compatriots.
The differences in religiousness between states is
quite pronounced, the researchers found, with Mississippi reporting the highest
(88) and Vermont the lowest (44) percent of people reporting that religion is
an important part of their daily life.
Globally, 68 percent of people surveyed said that
they were religious.
The study team included graduate student Sien Chieh
(Louis) Tay, and David G. Myers, of Hope College, in Holland, Mich.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial
adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Journal Reference:
1. Ed
Diener, Louis Tay, David G. Myers. The religion paradox: If religion
makes people happy, why are so many dropping out? Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 2011; DOI: 10.1037/a0024402
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