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Conceptualizing a nonnatural entity: anthropomorphism in God concepts
1Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. jlb14@cornell.edu
Cognitive Psychology
|December 1, 1996
Summary
University students often anthropomorphize God, using human-like concepts inconsistent with their stated beliefs. This unintentional representation of nonnatural entities can distort understanding and may apply to other abstract agents.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Theology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Understanding nonnatural entities poses cognitive challenges.
- University students' concepts of God are examined, encompassing both theological beliefs and narrative comprehension.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how nonnatural entities, specifically God, are represented in the minds of university students.
- To explore the discrepancy between professed theological beliefs and the concepts used in narrative comprehension.
- To determine if awareness of theological beliefs influences the degree of anthropomorphism.
Main Methods:
- Three story processing tasks were administered to university students.
- Participants' professed theological beliefs were assessed.
- The degree of anthropomorphism in God concepts was measured and manipulated by increasing awareness of theological beliefs.
Main Results:
- Students frequently employed anthropomorphic concepts of God, which contradicted their stated theological beliefs.
- Narratives were significantly distorted by participants without their conscious awareness.
- Heightening awareness of theological beliefs altered the extent of anthropomorphism.
Conclusions:
- The tendency to anthropomorphize God is unintentional and may serve as a cognitive strategy for representing poorly understood nonnatural entities.
- This anthropomorphism may generalize to other abstract agents.
- Cognitive representations of theological concepts can be malleable and influenced by contextual awareness.
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