Counterintuitiveness as the hallmark of religiosity

Bibliographic Data

ID4373483
AuthorsIlkka Pyysiainen (University of Helsinki), Michael Lindeman (0000-0003-4176-3736, University of Helsinki), Marjaana Lindeman, Timo Honkela (0000-0003-0917-2020, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology)
Year2003
Volume33
Issue4
Pages341-355
Publication date2003-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0048-721X • E-ISSN: 1096-1151
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1016/j.religion.2003.09.001
OpenAlexW1992379025
LanguageEN
Citations received21
References cited46

This article presents empirical evidence for the hypothesis that persons consider counterintuitive representations more likely to be religious than other kinds of beliefs. In three studies the subjects were asked to rate the probable religiousness of various kinds of imaginary beliefs. The results show that counterintuitive representations in general, and counterintuitive representations involving a conscious agent in particular, are considered much more likely to be religious. Counterintuitiveness thus seems to be an important element in a folk-understanding of religion

Counterintuitive · Element (criminal law) · Empirical evidence · Epistemology · Political science · Psychoanalysis · Religiosity · The Imaginary · Cultural Differences and Values · Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social Psychology

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