Patty Van Cappellen
Biographic Data
| ID | 6617317 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Patty Van Cappellen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Patty |
| FAMILY NAME | Van Cappellen |
| SIGNATURE | VAN CAPPELLEN P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Duke University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5880-6232 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 47 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 28 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Disentangling Religiosity
A large body of research has documented links between religiosity and prejudice toward groups perceived as threatening to traditional religious values. In the present research, we aimed to identify and experimentally manipulate facets of religiosity that reduce such intergroup bias. Across Studies 1 ( N = 293) and 2 ( N = 795), we used a theory- and data-driven approach and identified representations of God and liberal–conservative religious ideo…
Understanding the Affective and Mental Health Outcomes of Meditation Interventions
“It’s Hard to Shake God’s Hand”
Gratitude is often considered a response to kind acts from others, but growing research suggests it is frequently directed toward God. This study explored how gratitude toward God differs from gratitude toward people. Since God is perceived as all-powerful and not directly benefiting from reciprocation, we hypothesized that individuals would focus less on repaying God and more on paying it forward. We tested this through three studies: a cross-se…
Spirituality Beyond Religion
Emerging evidence suggests that nonreligious individuals may desire existential meaning and transcendent connection that extends beyond religious contexts. Personality psychology has long incorporated religion and spirituality, however, existing tools assess the presence of religious beliefs or general spirituality, and there is no validated measure to assess the motivational state that we term spiritual yearning. This study aimed to examine the …
The Future of Religious Deidentification
Using Everyday Prayer to Test Functions of Gratitude in the Context of Religion
For the billions who practice a religion, gratitude is thought to be often expressed toward their God in prayers. We build upon two theoretical frameworks to test the effects of gratitude to God on factors central to maintaining religion: a relationship with God and incentive salience for repeating prayer. We developed a protocol to collect spoken prayers and diary data over 2 weeks ( N = 93 Christians; 1,118 prayers). We present two automated te…
The power of presence
Yearning for Something More
More Than a Momentary Blip in the Universe? Investigating the Link Between Religiousness and Perceived Meaning in Life
One longitudinal and four cross-sectional studies (total N = 3,141) tested two candidate explanations for the association between religiousness and perceived meaning in life. Religiousness may foster a sense of significance, importance, or mattering—either to others (social mattering) or in the grand scheme of the universe (cosmic mattering)—which, in turn, support perceived meaning. We found that perceived social mattering mediated, but could no…
Religion as an embodied practice
Meaning behind the movement
A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being
The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N=10,535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-…
Bodily feedback
Most emotion theories recognise the importance of the body in expressing and constructing emotions. Focusing beyond the face, the present research adds needed empirical data on the effect of static full body postures on positive/negative affect. In Studies 1 (N = 110) and 2 (N = 79), using a bodily feedback paradigm, we manipulated postures to test causal effects on affective and physiological responses to emotionally ambiguous music. Across both…
Shades of expansiveness
In addition to the face, bodily posture plays an important role in communicating affective states. Postural expansion-how much space the body takes up-has been much studied as expressing and signaling dominance and pride. The present research aimed to expand research on the range of affect dimensions and affect-laden personality characteristics that are expressed via expansiveness, investigating specific forms of expansiveness and their interacti…
Embodiment of Worship
In addition to a set of beliefs, religion is fundamentally a corporeal practice. Across religions, specific postures adopted for prayer and worship may not simply reflect arbitrary customs but are closely intertwined with religious experience. This contribution reviews embodiment theory and related empirical evidence showing how body postures influence our emotions, thoughts, and decision-making. We propose a typology of postures adopted in relig…
Same-day, cross-day, and upward spiral relations between positive affect and positive health behaviours
OBJECTIVE: This project investigated same-day and lagged (i.e., from one day to the next) associations between daily positive affect and three distinct positive health behaviours: physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and meditation. Cross-day analyses also examined the role of positive affect felt during the targeted health behaviours. DESIGN: = 217) were randomized to learn one of two contemplative practices (i.e., mindfulness meditati…
Emotion Expression in Context
Understanding Engagement in and Affective Experiences During Physical Activity
OBJECTIVE: Meditation interventions promote an array of well-being outcomes. However, the way in which these interventions promote beneficial outcomes is less clear. Here, we expanded on prior work by examining the influence of mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation on a key health behavior: physical activity. METHODS: To test our hypotheses, we drew upon two randomized intervention studies. In the first study, 171 adults (73.0% female) recei…
Awe, Group Cohesion, and Religious Self-Sacrifice
Awe is an emotion frequently experienced in religious contexts. Research has documented the effects of awe on feelings of small self, spirituality, and sense of interconnectedness. We extend this literature by investigating the relationship between awe and religious group cohesion, which can ultimately lead to sacrifice for one’s religious group. Study 1 found that U.S. adult participants (N = 782) who experience greater dispositional awe-pronene…
Development of Trait Emotional Intelligence in Response to Childbirth
The aim of the current paper was to investigate the influence of childbirth on parents' trait emotional intelligence (EI). A three-wave longitudinal research program (during the second trimester of pregnancy, at 6 months postpartum, and at 1 year postpartum) using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model with a hierarchical linear modeling was conducted on 204 parental couples with parental group (i.e., primiparous and multiparous parents) as a ti…
Prejudice toward Christians and atheists among members of nonreligious groups
Much research demonstrates that people high in religiosity tend to be prejudiced against value-threatening groups. Therefore, some researchers have suggested that people who are not religious may be less prejudiced. Are nonreligious people characterized by general tolerance? If not, what are the bases of their prejudices? This research investigated prejudice toward Christians and atheists among people who identify as nonreligious (atheist, agnost…
A new micro-intervention to increase the enjoyment and continued practice of meditation
New health behaviors are difficult to maintain and meditation is no different. We tested two key pathways of the upward spiral theory of lifestyle change (Fredrickson, 2013), which identifies positive emotions as critical ingredients for the maintenance of new health behaviors. The present experiment combined a laboratory session that introduced novices to meditation with a 3-week follow-up period to assess the extent to which study participants …
Rethinking self-transcendent positive emotions and religion
Religion and Well-Being
Religiosity and Prosocial Behavior Among Churchgoers
Research has shown that religious beliefs and practices are related, to some extent, to prosocial behaviors, but less is known about why it is so. In addition, participating in the traditional Christian ritual (Sunday Mass) may be particularly powerful in eliciting prosocial behavior among believers. The present study explores the aspects of the Sunday Mass that may be involved in the activation of religious prosociality. The social, emotional, a…
Speak, Lord, Your Servant Is Listening”
According to many theoretical perspectives, religion is positively associated with submission and conformity. However, no study to date provided experimental evidence for this hypothesis. We did so in two experiments that relied on priming procedures. In Experiment 1, participants were tested for the strength of their religion-submission associations by using a lexical decision task. In Experiment 2, participants were primed with either religious…
Beyond Mere Compliance to Authoritative Figures
Religious priming activates submissive thoughts and facilitates compliance to authority's request for revenge among individuals with high dispositional submissiveness (Saroglou, Corneille, & Van Cappellen, 2009 Saroglou, V., Corneille, O. and Van Cappellen, P. 2009. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: Religious priming activates submissive thoughts and behaviors. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 19: 143–154. [Taylor &…
Religiosity and Prosocial Behavior Among Churchgoers
Research has shown that religious beliefs and practices are related, to some extent, to prosocial behaviors, but less is known about why it is so. In addition, participating in the traditional Christian ritual (Sunday Mass) may be particularly powerful in eliciting prosocial behavior among believers. The present study explores the aspects of the Sunday Mass that may be involved in the activation of religious prosociality. The social, emotional, a…
Yearning for Something More
Awe, Group Cohesion, and Religious Self-Sacrifice
Awe is an emotion frequently experienced in religious contexts. Research has documented the effects of awe on feelings of small self, spirituality, and sense of interconnectedness. We extend this literature by investigating the relationship between awe and religious group cohesion, which can ultimately lead to sacrifice for one’s religious group. Study 1 found that U.S. adult participants (N = 782) who experience greater dispositional awe-pronene…
Prejudice toward Christians and atheists among members of nonreligious groups
Much research demonstrates that people high in religiosity tend to be prejudiced against value-threatening groups. Therefore, some researchers have suggested that people who are not religious may be less prejudiced. Are nonreligious people characterized by general tolerance? If not, what are the bases of their prejudices? This research investigated prejudice toward Christians and atheists among people who identify as nonreligious (atheist, agnost…
Speak, Lord, Your Servant Is Listening”
According to many theoretical perspectives, religion is positively associated with submission and conformity. However, no study to date provided experimental evidence for this hypothesis. We did so in two experiments that relied on priming procedures. In Experiment 1, participants were tested for the strength of their religion-submission associations by using a lexical decision task. In Experiment 2, participants were primed with either religious…
Beyond Mere Compliance to Authoritative Figures
Religious priming activates submissive thoughts and facilitates compliance to authority's request for revenge among individuals with high dispositional submissiveness (Saroglou, Corneille, & Van Cappellen, 2009 Saroglou, V., Corneille, O. and Van Cappellen, P. 2009. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: Religious priming activates submissive thoughts and behaviors. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 19: 143–154. [Taylor &…
Awe activates religious and spiritual feelings and behavioral intentions
In two experiments, we investigated the role of awe in activating the association between religiosity/spirituality and related feelings and behavioral intentions. In Experiment 1, the induction of awe (through the recall of a relevant event), but not the induction of pride or a neutral condition, led religious and spiritual participants to endorse a spiritual (Tibet) but not a hedonistic (Haiti) travel destination. In Experiment 2, the induction …
Religiosity and Prosocial Behavior Among Churchgoers
Research has shown that religious beliefs and practices are related, to some extent, to prosocial behaviors, but less is known about why it is so. In addition, participating in the traditional Christian ritual (Sunday Mass) may be particularly powerful in eliciting prosocial behavior among believers. The present study explores the aspects of the Sunday Mass that may be involved in the activation of religious prosociality. The social, emotional, a…
Religion and Well-Being
Rethinking self-transcendent positive emotions and religion
A new micro-intervention to increase the enjoyment and continued practice of meditation
New health behaviors are difficult to maintain and meditation is no different. We tested two key pathways of the upward spiral theory of lifestyle change (Fredrickson, 2013), which identifies positive emotions as critical ingredients for the maintenance of new health behaviors. The present experiment combined a laboratory session that introduced novices to meditation with a 3-week follow-up period to assess the extent to which study participants …
Development of Trait Emotional Intelligence in Response to Childbirth
The aim of the current paper was to investigate the influence of childbirth on parents' trait emotional intelligence (EI). A three-wave longitudinal research program (during the second trimester of pregnancy, at 6 months postpartum, and at 1 year postpartum) using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model with a hierarchical linear modeling was conducted on 204 parental couples with parental group (i.e., primiparous and multiparous parents) as a ti…
Prejudice toward Christians and atheists among members of nonreligious groups
Much research demonstrates that people high in religiosity tend to be prejudiced against value-threatening groups. Therefore, some researchers have suggested that people who are not religious may be less prejudiced. Are nonreligious people characterized by general tolerance? If not, what are the bases of their prejudices? This research investigated prejudice toward Christians and atheists among people who identify as nonreligious (atheist, agnost…
Embodiment of Worship
In addition to a set of beliefs, religion is fundamentally a corporeal practice. Across religions, specific postures adopted for prayer and worship may not simply reflect arbitrary customs but are closely intertwined with religious experience. This contribution reviews embodiment theory and related empirical evidence showing how body postures influence our emotions, thoughts, and decision-making. We propose a typology of postures adopted in relig…
Same-day, cross-day, and upward spiral relations between positive affect and positive health behaviours
OBJECTIVE: This project investigated same-day and lagged (i.e., from one day to the next) associations between daily positive affect and three distinct positive health behaviours: physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and meditation. Cross-day analyses also examined the role of positive affect felt during the targeted health behaviours. DESIGN: = 217) were randomized to learn one of two contemplative practices (i.e., mindfulness meditati…
Emotion Expression in Context
Understanding Engagement in and Affective Experiences During Physical Activity
OBJECTIVE: Meditation interventions promote an array of well-being outcomes. However, the way in which these interventions promote beneficial outcomes is less clear. Here, we expanded on prior work by examining the influence of mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation on a key health behavior: physical activity. METHODS: To test our hypotheses, we drew upon two randomized intervention studies. In the first study, 171 adults (73.0% female) recei…
Awe, Group Cohesion, and Religious Self-Sacrifice
Awe is an emotion frequently experienced in religious contexts. Research has documented the effects of awe on feelings of small self, spirituality, and sense of interconnectedness. We extend this literature by investigating the relationship between awe and religious group cohesion, which can ultimately lead to sacrifice for one’s religious group. Study 1 found that U.S. adult participants (N = 782) who experience greater dispositional awe-pronene…
Bodily feedback
Most emotion theories recognise the importance of the body in expressing and constructing emotions. Focusing beyond the face, the present research adds needed empirical data on the effect of static full body postures on positive/negative affect. In Studies 1 (N = 110) and 2 (N = 79), using a bodily feedback paradigm, we manipulated postures to test causal effects on affective and physiological responses to emotionally ambiguous music. Across both…
Shades of expansiveness
In addition to the face, bodily posture plays an important role in communicating affective states. Postural expansion-how much space the body takes up-has been much studied as expressing and signaling dominance and pride. The present research aimed to expand research on the range of affect dimensions and affect-laden personality characteristics that are expressed via expansiveness, investigating specific forms of expansiveness and their interacti…
More Than a Momentary Blip in the Universe? Investigating the Link Between Religiousness and Perceived Meaning in Life
One longitudinal and four cross-sectional studies (total N = 3,141) tested two candidate explanations for the association between religiousness and perceived meaning in life. Religiousness may foster a sense of significance, importance, or mattering—either to others (social mattering) or in the grand scheme of the universe (cosmic mattering)—which, in turn, support perceived meaning. We found that perceived social mattering mediated, but could no…
Religion as an embodied practice
Meaning behind the movement
A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being
The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N=10,535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-…
Using Everyday Prayer to Test Functions of Gratitude in the Context of Religion
For the billions who practice a religion, gratitude is thought to be often expressed toward their God in prayers. We build upon two theoretical frameworks to test the effects of gratitude to God on factors central to maintaining religion: a relationship with God and incentive salience for repeating prayer. We developed a protocol to collect spoken prayers and diary data over 2 weeks ( N = 93 Christians; 1,118 prayers). We present two automated te…
The power of presence
Yearning for Something More
Disentangling Religiosity
A large body of research has documented links between religiosity and prejudice toward groups perceived as threatening to traditional religious values. In the present research, we aimed to identify and experimentally manipulate facets of religiosity that reduce such intergroup bias. Across Studies 1 ( N = 293) and 2 ( N = 795), we used a theory- and data-driven approach and identified representations of God and liberal–conservative religious ideo…
Understanding the Affective and Mental Health Outcomes of Meditation Interventions
Psychology (23 works) · Social Psychology (21 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (15 works) · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction (9 works) · Developmental psychology (7 works) · Philosophy (7 works) · Psychotherapist (7 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Feeling (6 works) · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions (6 works)