My latest WSJ column is about a new paper looking at how priming people to think about religion can improve their performance on various measures of self-control, even if they don’t believe in God:
I was raised in a kosher household. Though I never fully understood why I couldn’t eat cheeseburgers or pepperoni pizza—the theology still confuses me—I quickly learned to follow the rules. At birthday parties, I always informed the hosts that I preferred my pizza plain. If they forgot, I would just eat the crust.
What’s odd about such self-restraint is that I was terrible at holding back my childish desires in almost every other way. Even as I skipped the pepperoni, I would often gorge myself on cake. I could deny myself lobster, but I would throw massive tantrums if I didn’t get my box of Milk Duds at the movies.
Though I no longer keep kosher, I’m still puzzled by why I found it easy as a child to follow these faith-based rules. Because it’s not just me: People consistently find ways to obey all sorts of onerous religious dictates. During Ramadan or Lent, for example, the observant manage to be self-denying even as they struggle to stay on a diet or hold back their temper. “The world is full of people who are fastidious about Biblical rules but can’t say no to fast food,” says Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. “There’s something about rules from God that make them easier to follow.”
According to research led by Kevin Rounding at Queen’s University in Ontario and recently published in Psychological Science, Rabbi Wolpe is right: People are better able to resist their desires when thinking about God. In a series of clever experiments, the Canadian scientists demonstrated that triggering subconscious thoughts of faith increased self-control.
First, the experiment’s subjects had to unscramble a series of short sentences, some containing words with religious connotations, such as “divine” or “Bible.” The scientists argue that encountering such expressions leads people to think of God, even if they aren’t consciously aware of such thoughts.
After completing the unscrambling task, the students took several tests of self-control. In one, they were paid a nickel for every sip of a foul drink of orange juice and vinegar. Interestingly, those students primed to think of God could endure much more discomfort and swilled twice as much sour juice.
In a second study, the scientists tested students’ ability to delay gratification, asking them if they wanted $5 tomorrow or $6 in a week. Those on a religious wavelength were far more likely to opt for the more prudent option. Finally, the scientists showed that God-minded subjects persisted for a longer time in trying to solve a frustrating puzzle.
The effect, it turns out, does not require religious belief. More than a third of the students in the studies were atheists or agnostics, yet the scientists found that they were still influenced by subconscious thoughts of God.
Needless to say, we still don’t know why inklings of religion increase self-control. The scientists describe thoughts of God as providing the mind with “important psychological nutrients” that “refuel” our inner resources, much like Gatorade replenishes the body after a long run.
But how does religion do this? The scientists think that faith-based thoughts may increase “self-monitoring” by evoking the idea of an all-knowing, omnipresent God. Previous research, which showed that priming people to think of a vengeful, angry God reduces the likelihood of dishonesty, supports this view. If God is always watching, we better not misbehave—he knows about the pepperoni.
For Rabbi Wolpe, these results are an important reminder that human nature is deeply shaped by external structures. “People need a system of rules to live by,” he says, adding: “People drive slower when they see a police car. God is a bit like that police car: Thinking about Him makes it easier to do the right thing.”
I’m loathe to speculate on what such results might tell us about the evolution of religion, but the scientists argue that the effect represents an important “practical advantage” for those surrounded by religiosity. And if you're looking for a visual representation of the basic concept, check out this photo of "Holy CCTV."
