RESEARCH: The Automatic Activation of Religious Concepts: Implications for Religious Orientations

Abstract

An evaluative priming procedure was used to demonstrate the automatic activation of religious concepts-in particular, religious actions. Participants identified the actions faster after being primed (stimulus onset asynchrony = 300 ms) with an appropriate religious category. The result provides evidence for underlying cognitive structure with respect to religious concepts. Furthermore, the effect of such activation depended on participants' levels of an intrinsic orientation toward religion. Participants with such an orientation tended to internalize their beliefs and genuinely try to live accordingly (Allport & Ross, 1967). Other religious orientations are evaluated, and implications are discussed.