Religion as a source of variation in the experience of positive and negative emotions

摘要

In a series of three studies, we examined the ways in which religion informs the individual experience andvaluation of emotions. In Study 1, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish participants (N =7231) in49 nations reported the frequency with which they experienced nine discrete emotions. Results indicate grouplevel differences in the frequency with which different emotions are experienced. Study 2 examined whether thepatterns of emotional experiences found in Study 1 replicated in the valuation of those emotions by the adherentsof those different religious traditions. Study 3 experimentally manipulated the salience of religious identity toexamine the effect of religion on the current experience of emotions. Across the studies, findings provide evidencethat religion (e.g., Christianity, Buddhism, etc) is related to the experience of, and beliefs about, emotional states.Implications for the study of happiness and positive psychology are discussed in light of the findings.