Analytic Thinking Can Decrease Religious Belief, Study Shows

[The Black Jester]

The journal Science has published a study on the effect of analytic thinking on religious belief.

Of particular interest are the following paragraphs:

The findings, Gervais says, are based on a longstanding human psychology model of two distinct, but related cognitive systems to process information: an "intuitive" system that relies on mental shortcuts to yield fast and efficient responses, and a more "analytic" system that yields more deliberate, reasoned responses.

"Our study builds on previous research that links religious beliefs to 'intuitive' thinking," says study co-author and Associate Prof. Ara Norenzayan, UBC Dept. of Psychology. "Our findings suggest that activating the 'analytic' cognitive system in the brain can undermine the 'intuitive' support for religious belief, at least temporarily."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426143856.htm

I wonder if the study's author has any relation to Ricky.

[Amicale]

This was very interesting! Scientific American also commented on it, here: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=losing-your-religion-analytic-thinking-can-undermine-belief&WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20120427

Analytic thinking undermines belief because, as cognitive psychologists have shown, it can override intuition. And we know from past research that religious beliefs—such as the idea that objects and events don't simply exist but have a purpose—are rooted in intuition. "Analytic processing inhibits these intuitions, which in turn discourages religious belief," Norenzayan explains.

It makes a great point about the link between belief and intuition. I think it's very true that we make a lot of assumptions based on intuition, even if those assumptions don't have any factual basis.

[The Black Jester]

It makes a great point about the link between belief and intuition. I think it's very true that we make a lot of assumptions based on intuition, even if those assumptions don't have any factual basis.

The more I learn about neuroscience, the more convinced I am that we have many unconscious processing mechanisms that work on heuristic rules, and which may be coopted by, constitutive of, our "intuitive" systems.  These rules are okay generally, and may allow us to make certain predictions, say, of the behavior of external objects and people, but can lead to false assumptions.  We can end up ascribing intentionality, say, to systems that don't have minds, and get used to thinking of them in that way. 

[Yodas_Apprentice]

If you'll pardon the pun, these finding are completely intuitive.  It makes perfect sense that analytic thinking would either sow disbelief among believers or reaffirm the doubt of skeptics since this way of thinking is systemic and challenges its own assumptions.

[Amicale]

If you'll pardon the pun, these finding are completely intuitive.  It makes perfect sense that analytic thinking would either sow disbelief among believers or reaffirm the doubt of skeptics since this way of thinking is systemic and challenges its own assumptions.

Sure, I agree that the findings are intuitive. Mostly, anyhow. There are plenty of religious people who use analytical thinking in other areas of their life - for example, at work. If you're a programmer, a math teacher, or if you use any type of analysis when studying science, history, philosophy, literature, etc etc then I'd think you'd be more exposed to analytical thought. And I would think that you'd use that process to test your own beliefs in the same way you'd test anything else. Yet... we still have religious people in all those fields. Although of course, I've never met a diehard religious fanatic in any of the fields that require analytic thought to a high degree... but if there are any of them in those fields, maybe they kind of compartmentalize their faith away from their work?

It's probably true that like the articles suggested, analytic thinking can decrease religious belief. But I'm curious about how many people sense a decrease of religious faith, and how many people take it to the next step, and give it up totally.

Just thinking out loud.

[xSilverPhinx]

We can end up ascribing intentionality, say, to systems that don't have minds, and get used to thinking of them in that way. 

Probably more of a byproduct of evolution as a social species than intuition in the general sense, but it does look like religious belief is a sort of easy, less energy consuming 'theory of everything' that the mind puts together.
Reminds me of that test when a split-brain patient (the two hemispheres don't communicate with eachother) was asked if he believed in god, the left hemisphere didn't and the right one did. Really odd.

If you'll pardon the pun, these finding are completely intuitive.  It makes perfect sense that analytic thinking would either sow disbelief among believers or reaffirm the doubt of skeptics since this way of thinking is systemic and challenges its own assumptions.

Sure, I agree that the findings are intuitive. Mostly, anyhow. There are plenty of religious people who use analytical thinking in other areas of their life - for example, at work. If you're a programmer, a math teacher, or if you use any type of analysis when studying science, history, philosophy, literature, etc etc then I'd think you'd be more exposed to analytical thought. And I would think that you'd use that process to test your own beliefs in the same way you'd test anything else. Yet... we still have religious people in all those fields. Although of course, I've never met a diehard religious fanatic in any of the fields that require analytic thought to a high degree... but if there are any of them in those fields, maybe they kind of compartmentalize their faith away from their work?

It's probably true that like the articles suggested, analytic thinking can decrease religious belief. But I'm curious about how many people sense a decrease of religious faith, and how many people take it to the next step, and give it up totally.

Just thinking out loud.

The case of with people who are very intelligent and also religious is almost paradoxical in a way.  If religion is more emotional and existential than rational, there will be those who are very good at rationalising and believing in their rationalisations (which could be called analytical thinking? ??? )