J M Nelson
Biographic Data
| ID | 32791 |
|---|---|
| NAME | J M Nelson |
| GIVEN NAMES | J M |
| FAMILY NAME | Nelson |
| SIGNATURE | NELSON J M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Baylor University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2156-8098 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Adolescent Religiosity and Psychological Functioning During the Covid‐19 Pandemic
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Nonnormative developmental events, in this case the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020, on adolescent religiosity and psychological functioning. METHODS: Adolescents (N = 1,034; 14-19 years old; M age =16; 50% male, 50% female) from across the United States completed online surveys in January 2021, retrospectively reporting on three periods of 2020 (Pre-COVID 2020, Spring/Summ…
Comparing general gratitude and gratitude to God and their associations with well-being over time
Mino-Bimaadiziwin and the Pursuit of Harmony
Academic AbstractTheories of well-being are heavily influenced by Western viewpoints; even when Majority World perspectives are incorporated, psychologists often fail to consider the rich cultural knowledge of the Indigenous peoples of North America. We propose that personality and social psychologists engage in "deep learning" (without appropriation or colonization) of a Native American Majority World perspective on well-being. We present a desc…
Feelings of gratitude to Allah and people and their associations with affect in daily life
202) participated in an Ecological Momentary Assessment study by completing up to three momentary reports each day during three separate weeks. Within-person results showed that both forms of gratitude were positively associated with concurrent happiness and calmness and were negatively associated with concurrent anxiety and sadness, though gratitude to people was a stronger predictor of happiness than gratitude to Allah. Most of the associations…
Gratitude to God and mental well-being in U.S. collegiate athletes
This study examines the potential salubrious role of religious gratitude as a protective factor for collegiate student-athlete mental health and the possible mediating role of perceived indebtedness to God and meaning in life. We draw on a sample of student-athletes from the United States (N = 415) who compete in NCAA Division 1 and 3 athletics. Our results suggest gratitude to God is associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms and less…
The interactive roles of religion, parenting, and sex communication in adolescent sexual risk-taking
The present study used longitudinal person-centered analyses to understand how parent religiosity, parenting styles, and parent-adolescent sex communication interact in predicting adolescent sexual risk-taking over time. The sample included 681 adolescents and their parents (Mage = 15, at wave 5) from Waves 5 and 6 of the Flourishing Families Project. Variables capturing parent religiosity, parenting styles, and parent-adolescent sex communicatio…
Unpacking the role of adolescent religious affiliation in youth outcomes
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to unpack the role of adolescent religious affiliation in positive and negative youth outcomes. METHODS: We used data from Wave 1 (2002-2003) of the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). Participants were a nationally representative sample of 3290 adolescents from across the United States. Measures were adolescent-report or parent-report items of religiousness (individual religiousness, family re…
Transcendent indebtedness to God
Writing About Gratitude Toward God Produces Differential Content and Outcomes Compared to Gratitude Toward Other Benefactors Among U.S. Adults
We test the effectiveness of 2 different written inductions of gratitude toward God and analyze the content and outcomes of these gratitude expressions. We recruited 1,170 predominantly Christian U.S. participants across 3 CloudResearch datasets. Participants were randomly assigned to write about gratitude to God or another benefactor, including people, parents, country, and unspecified benefactors, or to write about their daily activities. Study…
Religiosity Moderates Goal Courage and Self-Worth in Collegiate Christian Athletes
Research shows that the effects of athletics on virtue development are mixed. Religion provides people with a meaning-making system, community, and practices that can promote the cultivation of virtues and possibly enhance the impact of athletics on virtue development. Yet, little empirical research has assessed moral outcomes when religion and sport interact. The present study examines intrinsic religiosity as a moderator of the effect of athlet…
Qualitatively exploring repentance processes, antecedents, motivations, resources, and outcomes in Latter-day Saints
Despite the prevalence of beliefs across religions regarding repentance and divine forgiveness and their recognition in theoretical and religious studies, these constructs are relatively understudied phenomena in the social sciences. Furthermore, in recent years, multiple scholars have argued for the need for research to systematically study and highlight the experience and processes of repentance and divine forgiveness. Subsequently, this study …
Declines in Religiousness Dimensions across Adolescence as Predictors of Religious Deidentification in Young Adulthood
The present study examined whether declines in religiousness across adolescence precede religious deidentification in young adulthood. Data came from the National Study of Youth and Religion. Participants were religiously affiliated for the first three waves of the longitudinal study (N = 1144). Latent growth curve models found significant declines across adolescence in church attendance, prayer, scripture study, religious importance, and spiritu…
Intangible Benefactors and the Contribution of Construal Level and Attitude Accessibility in Predicting Gratitude and Expansive Emotions
We tested whether manipulating construal level would change the experience of gratitude or other expansive emotions (gratitude, awe, compassion) and negative emotions. We also examined whether construal level was correlated with the type of gratitude benefactor that participants spontaneously listed, focusing especially on God and non-theistic intangible benefactors compared to tangible human benefactors. We manipulated construal level in 265 U.S…
Adolescent Religious Motivation
The purpose of the present set of studies was to develop a short and valid measure of religious motivation based on self-determination theory and demonstrate the role of religious motivation on youth outcomes. Participants were from five studies of religious adolescents and their parents from across the U.S (total N = 2982). Using confirmatory factor analyses we created a 12-item Religious Internalization Scale (RIS-12) capturing three forms of r…
Processes of Religious and Spiritual Influence in Adolescence
This is a systematic review of 30 years (1988‐2017) of empirical research on processes of religious/spiritual influence in adolescence. We followed a multi‐step process that resulted in 241 studies organized according to eight research questions and the corresponding methods and analyses typically used to address them. We coded these studies based on the dimensions of religiosity/spirituality and the youth outcomes involved. In some cases (quanti…
Potato Harvest
Declines in Religiousness Dimensions across Adolescence as Predictors of Religious Deidentification in Young Adulthood
The present study examined whether declines in religiousness across adolescence precede religious deidentification in young adulthood. Data came from the National Study of Youth and Religion. Participants were religiously affiliated for the first three waves of the longitudinal study (N = 1144). Latent growth curve models found significant declines across adolescence in church attendance, prayer, scripture study, religious importance, and spiritu…
Adolescent Religious Motivation
The purpose of the present set of studies was to develop a short and valid measure of religious motivation based on self-determination theory and demonstrate the role of religious motivation on youth outcomes. Participants were from five studies of religious adolescents and their parents from across the U.S (total N = 2982). Using confirmatory factor analyses we created a 12-item Religious Internalization Scale (RIS-12) capturing three forms of r…
Writing About Gratitude Toward God Produces Differential Content and Outcomes Compared to Gratitude Toward Other Benefactors Among U.S. Adults
We test the effectiveness of 2 different written inductions of gratitude toward God and analyze the content and outcomes of these gratitude expressions. We recruited 1,170 predominantly Christian U.S. participants across 3 CloudResearch datasets. Participants were randomly assigned to write about gratitude to God or another benefactor, including people, parents, country, and unspecified benefactors, or to write about their daily activities. Study…
Intangible Benefactors and the Contribution of Construal Level and Attitude Accessibility in Predicting Gratitude and Expansive Emotions
We tested whether manipulating construal level would change the experience of gratitude or other expansive emotions (gratitude, awe, compassion) and negative emotions. We also examined whether construal level was correlated with the type of gratitude benefactor that participants spontaneously listed, focusing especially on God and non-theistic intangible benefactors compared to tangible human benefactors. We manipulated construal level in 265 U.S…
Potato Harvest
Processes of Religious and Spiritual Influence in Adolescence
This is a systematic review of 30 years (1988‐2017) of empirical research on processes of religious/spiritual influence in adolescence. We followed a multi‐step process that resulted in 241 studies organized according to eight research questions and the corresponding methods and analyses typically used to address them. We coded these studies based on the dimensions of religiosity/spirituality and the youth outcomes involved. In some cases (quanti…
Adolescent Religious Motivation
The purpose of the present set of studies was to develop a short and valid measure of religious motivation based on self-determination theory and demonstrate the role of religious motivation on youth outcomes. Participants were from five studies of religious adolescents and their parents from across the U.S (total N = 2982). Using confirmatory factor analyses we created a 12-item Religious Internalization Scale (RIS-12) capturing three forms of r…
Qualitatively exploring repentance processes, antecedents, motivations, resources, and outcomes in Latter-day Saints
Despite the prevalence of beliefs across religions regarding repentance and divine forgiveness and their recognition in theoretical and religious studies, these constructs are relatively understudied phenomena in the social sciences. Furthermore, in recent years, multiple scholars have argued for the need for research to systematically study and highlight the experience and processes of repentance and divine forgiveness. Subsequently, this study …
Declines in Religiousness Dimensions across Adolescence as Predictors of Religious Deidentification in Young Adulthood
The present study examined whether declines in religiousness across adolescence precede religious deidentification in young adulthood. Data came from the National Study of Youth and Religion. Participants were religiously affiliated for the first three waves of the longitudinal study (N = 1144). Latent growth curve models found significant declines across adolescence in church attendance, prayer, scripture study, religious importance, and spiritu…
Intangible Benefactors and the Contribution of Construal Level and Attitude Accessibility in Predicting Gratitude and Expansive Emotions
We tested whether manipulating construal level would change the experience of gratitude or other expansive emotions (gratitude, awe, compassion) and negative emotions. We also examined whether construal level was correlated with the type of gratitude benefactor that participants spontaneously listed, focusing especially on God and non-theistic intangible benefactors compared to tangible human benefactors. We manipulated construal level in 265 U.S…
Unpacking the role of adolescent religious affiliation in youth outcomes
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to unpack the role of adolescent religious affiliation in positive and negative youth outcomes. METHODS: We used data from Wave 1 (2002-2003) of the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). Participants were a nationally representative sample of 3290 adolescents from across the United States. Measures were adolescent-report or parent-report items of religiousness (individual religiousness, family re…
Transcendent indebtedness to God
Writing About Gratitude Toward God Produces Differential Content and Outcomes Compared to Gratitude Toward Other Benefactors Among U.S. Adults
We test the effectiveness of 2 different written inductions of gratitude toward God and analyze the content and outcomes of these gratitude expressions. We recruited 1,170 predominantly Christian U.S. participants across 3 CloudResearch datasets. Participants were randomly assigned to write about gratitude to God or another benefactor, including people, parents, country, and unspecified benefactors, or to write about their daily activities. Study…
Religiosity Moderates Goal Courage and Self-Worth in Collegiate Christian Athletes
Research shows that the effects of athletics on virtue development are mixed. Religion provides people with a meaning-making system, community, and practices that can promote the cultivation of virtues and possibly enhance the impact of athletics on virtue development. Yet, little empirical research has assessed moral outcomes when religion and sport interact. The present study examines intrinsic religiosity as a moderator of the effect of athlet…
Gratitude to God and mental well-being in U.S. collegiate athletes
This study examines the potential salubrious role of religious gratitude as a protective factor for collegiate student-athlete mental health and the possible mediating role of perceived indebtedness to God and meaning in life. We draw on a sample of student-athletes from the United States (N = 415) who compete in NCAA Division 1 and 3 athletics. Our results suggest gratitude to God is associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms and less…
The interactive roles of religion, parenting, and sex communication in adolescent sexual risk-taking
The present study used longitudinal person-centered analyses to understand how parent religiosity, parenting styles, and parent-adolescent sex communication interact in predicting adolescent sexual risk-taking over time. The sample included 681 adolescents and their parents (Mage = 15, at wave 5) from Waves 5 and 6 of the Flourishing Families Project. Variables capturing parent religiosity, parenting styles, and parent-adolescent sex communicatio…
Mino-Bimaadiziwin and the Pursuit of Harmony
Academic AbstractTheories of well-being are heavily influenced by Western viewpoints; even when Majority World perspectives are incorporated, psychologists often fail to consider the rich cultural knowledge of the Indigenous peoples of North America. We propose that personality and social psychologists engage in "deep learning" (without appropriation or colonization) of a Native American Majority World perspective on well-being. We present a desc…
Feelings of gratitude to Allah and people and their associations with affect in daily life
202) participated in an Ecological Momentary Assessment study by completing up to three momentary reports each day during three separate weeks. Within-person results showed that both forms of gratitude were positively associated with concurrent happiness and calmness and were negatively associated with concurrent anxiety and sadness, though gratitude to people was a stronger predictor of happiness than gratitude to Allah. Most of the associations…
Adolescent Religiosity and Psychological Functioning During the Covid‐19 Pandemic
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Nonnormative developmental events, in this case the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020, on adolescent religiosity and psychological functioning. METHODS: Adolescents (N = 1,034; 14-19 years old; M age =16; 50% male, 50% female) from across the United States completed online surveys in January 2021, retrospectively reporting on three periods of 2020 (Pre-COVID 2020, Spring/Summ…
Comparing general gratitude and gratitude to God and their associations with well-being over time
Psychology (12 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (10 works) · Developmental psychology (6 works) · Gratitude (5 works) · Religiosity (5 works) · Social Psychology (5 works) · Medicine (4 works) · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction (4 works) · Spirituality (3 works)