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Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 31, No. 9, 1203-1216 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167205274448
© 2005 Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

The Nonconscious Influence of Religious Symbols in Motivated Performance Situations

Max Weisbuch-Remington

Mercer University, remington_m{at}mercer.edu

Wendy Berry Mendes

Harvard University

Mark D. Seery

University of California-Irvine

Jim Blascovich

University of California-Santa Barbara

Anthropological, sociological, and psychological theories suggest that religious symbols should influence motivational processes during performance of goal-relevant tasks. In two experiments, positive and negative religious (Christian) symbols were presented outside of participants’ conscious awareness. These symbols influenced cardiovascular responses consistent with challenge and threat states during a subsequent speech task, particularly when the speech topic concerned participants’ mortality, and only for Christian participants; similar images lacking Christian meaning were not influential. Results suggested that these effects were due to the learned meaning of the symbols and point to the importance of religion as a coping resource.

Key Words: religion • subliminal • symbols • challenge • threat • coping • automatic


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