Credit: Shutterstock
When people feel targeted because of their religious identity, they can experience a psychological threat that may undermine psychological well-being and increase prejudice toward other groups, according to a new study by Penn State psychologists.
The findings, which appear online in the journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science, suggest that in the United States, highly religious Protestants and religious minorities — Jews and Muslims — feel the most targeted for their religious group membership and religious beliefs. This perception, which the researchers term “religious threat,” leads people to feel socially isolated, be less comfortable sharing their religion with others and to be more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes towards others.
“American society is in a downward spiral of interreligious intolerance,” said Michael Pasek, a doctoral student in social psychology and the lead investigator on the research. “When people see their religion or religious beliefs mocked in the public domain or criticized by political leaders, these experiences signal to members of entire religious groups that they don’t belong.”
The first large study examining social identity threat […]
