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Related Experiment Videos

Religion is natural.

Paul Bloom1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, USA. paul.bloom@yale.edu

Developmental Science
|December 22, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Young children naturally grasp core religious concepts like mind-body dualism and divine agents. Emerging research highlights these foundational beliefs in developmental psychology, suggesting innate predispositions toward religious ideas.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychology of Religion

Background:

  • Religion, despite its social relevance, is understudied in developmental psychology.
  • Recent research indicates children's intuitive understanding of religious concepts.
  • Focus on foundational aspects of religious cognition in early development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review emerging research on children's understanding of universal religious ideas.
  • To examine the natural acquisition of beliefs in mind-body dualism and divine agents by young children.
  • To discuss future research directions in the developmental psychology of religion.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent empirical studies on children's religious cognition.
  • Analysis of findings related to intuitive dualism and belief in supernatural agents.

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  • Synthesis of existing literature to identify developmental patterns.

    • Main Results:

    • Young children demonstrate an intuitive grasp of mind-body dualism.
    • Evidence suggests a natural inclination for children to believe in divine agents.
    • Foundational religious concepts appear to be readily acquired in early development.

    Conclusions:

    • Children's cognitive development includes a natural predisposition towards core religious concepts.
    • Further research is needed to fully understand the developmental trajectory of religious cognition.
    • Developmental psychology can benefit from exploring the origins and nature of religious beliefs.