Does growing up in more material conditions lead to become
less religious later in life?
In a new study published in Evolutionary Human Sciences, and led by
LEVYNA researcher, we examined a central prediction of secularization
theory: that greater material security should be associated with lower
religiosity.
Using longitudinal data from young people in the United States, the
research team tested whether material security measured earlier in
life predicted later belief in God. The results provided partial support
for this relationship, while also suggesting that the link is more nuanced
than often assumed.
Rather than reflecting a simple and universal process, the association
between material security and religiosity appears to depend on developmental
timing, individual differences, and broader social context.
The study contributes to ongoing debates on secularization, religious change, and how economic conditions shape belief systems across the life course.
Read the full paper here:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences/article/longitudinal-associations-of-material-security-and-belief-in-god-in-young-americans/7EBB39D2F19EAB61D94B13174D847982
Recent article in journal Evolutionary Human Sciences, where LEVYNA members contributed data, asks whether religious denominations accumulate gradually or are generated in rapid bursts associated with specific historical events.
A recently published qualitative study by Jana Nenadalová explores Dark therapy, an alternative spiritual practice combining prolonged sensory deprivation with guidance from an authority figure, to understand how religious and spiritual experiences are induced. Drawing on predictive processing theory, the research shows that complete darkness can trigger intense psychological and perceptual phenomena, especially when participants feel a sense of control and bring expectations or prior beliefs into the experience.
