The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Authoritarian and benevolent god representations and the two sides of prosociality
Abstract
The Big Gods model focuses on belief in an authoritarian God as a psychological mechanism that inhibits antisocial behavior and facilitates the formation of tight, cohesive groups. Recent empirical evidence suggests, however, that belief in a benevolent God is more likely to inspire helping and inclusivity. Both kinds of beliefs are necessary to explain the development of large-scale societies.
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Belief in god(s)' forgiveness and benevolence appears more associated with secure attachment styles, trust of others, and more willingness to take an apparent risk when interacting with strangers.
“belief in god(s)' forgiveness and benevolence appears to be more associated with secure attachment styles, trust of others, and more willingness to take an apparent risk when interacting with strangers (Johnson and Cohen 2016; Krause et al. 2015; Johnson et al. 2016; Wilt et al. 2016).”
From Cultural Evolution of Religion, Spirituality and Ritual: Impacts On Human Cooperation (2024) · cites this paper as Johnson and Cohen 2016
Belief in god(s)' forgiveness and benevolence appears more associated with secure attachment styles, trust of others, and more willingness to take an apparent risk when interacting with strangers.
“belief in god(s)' forgiveness and benevolence appears to be more associated with secure attachment styles, trust of others, and more willingness to take an apparent risk when interacting with strangers (Johnson and Cohen 2016; Krause et al. 2015; Johnson et al. 2016; Wilt et al. 2016).”
From Cultural Evolution of Religion, Spirituality and Ritual: Impacts On Human Cooperation (2024) · cites this paper as Johnson et al. 2016
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Research works printed but not linked: 11
- 10.1037/h0033157 · DOI
- 10.1037/a0030138 · DOI
- 10.1080/2153599X.2014.918684 · DOI
- Fredrickson, 1998, Review of General Psychology, 2, 300
- Aten, 2008, God images following Hurricane Katrina in south Mississippi: An exploratory study, Journal of Psychology and Theology, 36, 249, 10.1177/009164710803600401 · DOI
- 10.1177/1088868313480274 · DOI
- Froese, 2010, America's four gods: What we say about God – and what that says about us
- 10.1037/rel0000011 · DOI
- 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01873.x · DOI
- Johnson K. A. , Cohen A. B. , Okun M. A. , & Liu Y. (in press) God is watching over you vs. God is watching you: The influence of benevolent and authoritarian God representations on secular volunteerism. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.
- 10.1177/0146167299025003005 · DOI
Cited by
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Cultural Evolution of Religion, Spirituality and Ritual: Impacts On Human Cooperation
McNamara, R. A. (2024) · KZfSS Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie · doi:10.1007/s11577-024-00937-3 · Cited by 6
Metadata
- Authors
- Johnson, K. A., & Cohen, A. B.
- Affiliations
- Arizona State University (US)
- Venue
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2016
- Volume
- 39
- Pages
- e16-e16
- ISSN
- 0140-525X (ISSN-L)
- 1469-1825
- OpenAlex
- W2293404719
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 3.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Keywords
- benevolent God, prosocial behavior, antisocial behavior, helping behavior, inclusivity, large-scale societies, religious beliefs, group cohesion
- MeSH terms
- Authoritarianism, Mental Disorders, Humans
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