Prayer in Response to Negative Intrusive Thoughts: Closer Examination of a Religious Neutralizing Strategy

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Intrusive thoughts are common and can cause significant distress.
• Covert neutralizing strategies, like compensatory prayer, are understudied but may maintain obsessional phenomena.
• Understanding these strategies is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the development and maintenance factors of compensatory prayer as a neutralizing strategy for intrusive thoughts.
• To examine the predictors and function of prayer used in response to negative intrusive thoughts.
• To inform assessment and treatment of religious-related obsessional phenomena.

Main Methods:

• A multimethod approach was employed with 85 Christian undergraduate students.
• Included self-report measures, an in vivo negative thought induction, and assessment of compensatory prayer behaviors.
• Statistical analyses examined predictors and mediators of prayer use and its functional impact.

Main Results:

• Religiosity, intrinsic religious motivation, and moral thought-action fusion (TAF) positively predicted prayer use.
• Moral TAF uniquely predicted prayer use and fully mediated the relationship between religiosity and prayer.
• Maladaptive prayer use (negative coping) correlated with higher religiosity, moral TAF, more frequent prayer, and greater anxiety reduction.

Conclusions:

• Moral TAF is a significant factor in the use of compensatory prayer for intrusive thoughts.
• While prayer can reduce anxiety, its maladaptive use is associated with specific religious and cognitive factors.
• Findings have implications for understanding and treating religious-related intrusive thoughts and obsessional behaviors.