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Economic threat as a determinant of conversion rates in authoritarian and nonauthoritarian churches

Economic threat as a determinant of conversion rates in authoritarian and nonauthoritarian churches Analyzed statistical data from authoritarian and nonauthoritarian churches to examine the suggestion that threat is an important contributor to individuals' levels of authoritarianism. A variety of findings seem congruent with this hypothesis; however, virtually all of these supportive data have been generated in laboratory experiments involving relatively peripheral apsects of the behavior of undergraduate students. The impact of these results is thus potentially limited to these somewhat artificial situations. Results of the present investigation extend the validity of this hypothesis by indicating that economic bad times (exemplified both by the great depression and by recent conditions in the Seattle, Washington, area) increase the rate of conversions to authoritarian churches, while economic good times increase the rate of conversions to nonauthoritarian churches. The implications of these data for Marx's description of religion as "the opiate of the people" are also discussed. (19 ref.) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Personality and Social Psychology American Psychological Association

Economic threat as a determinant of conversion rates in authoritarian and nonauthoritarian churches

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Publisher
American Psychological Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1972 American Psychological Association
ISSN
0022-3514
eISSN
1939-1315
DOI
10.1037/h0033157
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Analyzed statistical data from authoritarian and nonauthoritarian churches to examine the suggestion that threat is an important contributor to individuals' levels of authoritarianism. A variety of findings seem congruent with this hypothesis; however, virtually all of these supportive data have been generated in laboratory experiments involving relatively peripheral apsects of the behavior of undergraduate students. The impact of these results is thus potentially limited to these somewhat artificial situations. Results of the present investigation extend the validity of this hypothesis by indicating that economic bad times (exemplified both by the great depression and by recent conditions in the Seattle, Washington, area) increase the rate of conversions to authoritarian churches, while economic good times increase the rate of conversions to nonauthoritarian churches. The implications of these data for Marx's description of religion as "the opiate of the people" are also discussed. (19 ref.)

Journal

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology – American Psychological Association

Published: Sep 1, 1972

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