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Mental contamination: The effects of religiosity
1Hacettepe University, Department of Psychology, Ankara, Turkey.
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|August 28, 2017
Summary
Religiosity influences mental contamination, a psychological phenomenon without physical contact. Higher religiosity in Muslim women amplified feelings of mental contamination and washing behaviors after imagining a non-consensual kiss.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Moral Psychology
Background:
- Mental contamination is a psychological response occurring without direct contact with a contaminant.
- It possesses a significant moral component, influencing emotional and behavioral outcomes.
- Prior research induced mental contamination using scenarios depicting non-consensual sexual contact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of religiosity levels on mental contamination.
- To examine the relationship between religiosity and associated negative feelings and behaviors.
- To explore how different levels of religiosity modulate responses to morally charged scenarios.
Main Methods:
- An experimental design was employed with female undergraduates categorized by high and low religiosity.
- Participants were randomly assigned to listen to audio recordings of either a consensual or non-consensual kiss.
- The study involved 48 participants in the high religiosity group and 44 in the low religiosity group.
Main Results:
- Mental contamination was successfully induced in both high and low religiosity groups.
- Participants exposed to the non-consensual kiss scenario reported the highest levels of mental contamination and negative feelings.
- Higher religiosity was significantly associated with increased mental contamination, negative feelings, and washing urges/behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Mental contamination and related phenomena manifest differently across varying levels of religiosity.
- Findings suggest religiosity is a crucial factor in modulating psychological responses to morally relevant situations.
- The study's focus on non-clinical Muslim females limits generalizability to broader populations.
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