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Author Topic:   Analytic thinking can decrease religious belief: UBC study
bluegenes
Member (Idle past 2477 days)
Posts: 3119
From: U.K.
Joined: 01-24-2007


(2)
Message 1 of 7 (661802)
05-10-2012 10:19 AM


A new study at the University of British Columbia shows that analytic thinking can decrease religious belief. No great surprise as a general observation, some might be thinking, but it's interesting that getting people perform analytic tasks seems to actually produce an (at least temporary) reduction in religiosity.
Article
Science abstract
I think that in the future, the cognitive sciences may take over from traditional areas like evolution as the main battleground between science and religion. That's for various reasons, but important amongst them is that scientists are studying religiosity and religious beliefs themselves.

  
Jzyehoshua
Member (Idle past 761 days)
Posts: 153
Joined: 06-10-2010


Message 2 of 7 (663671)
05-26-2012 4:16 AM


Weasel Word
'Can' is a Weasel Word like maybe or perhaps, and doesn't really show anything. The computer in front of you 'can' blow up or someone drive a car through your living room, yet neither statement really indicates probability. It's all circumstantial and depends to what extent one's religious belief or faith was founded on conviction from honest examination of the evidence as opposed to brainwashed ignorance. Religion like political beliefs or any kind of major worldview is too often the result of second-hand information where people simply rely on someone else to do their thinking rather than considering the evidence for themselves and reaching their own conclusions.

Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by Panda, posted 05-26-2012 10:14 AM Jzyehoshua has not replied
 Message 4 by Dr Adequate, posted 05-26-2012 2:35 PM Jzyehoshua has replied
 Message 5 by ringo, posted 05-26-2012 3:05 PM Jzyehoshua has not replied

  
Panda
Member (Idle past 3712 days)
Posts: 2688
From: UK
Joined: 10-04-2010


(2)
Message 3 of 7 (663748)
05-26-2012 10:14 AM
Reply to: Message 2 by Jzyehoshua
05-26-2012 4:16 AM


Re: Weasel Word
Jzyehoshua writes:
'Can' is a Weasel Word like maybe or perhaps, and doesn't really show anything. The computer in front of you 'can' blow up or someone drive a car through your living room, yet neither statement really indicates probability.
Wrong. It says that the probability is greater than zero.
(I note your own use of the weasel word 'really'.)
We would need to read the paper to know what the actual value is.
But your implied suggestion that [paraphrasing] "since the headline uses the word 'can' therefore the odds are near zero" is baseless.
Jzyehoshua writes:
It's all circumstantial and depends to what extent one's religious belief or faith was founded on conviction from honest examination of the evidence as opposed to brainwashed ignorance.
...and also how much analytical thinking they are encouraged to do.
Jzyehoshua writes:
Religion like political beliefs or any kind of major worldview is too often the result of second-hand information where people simply rely on someone else to do their thinking rather than considering the evidence for themselves and reaching their own conclusions.
Analytic thinking would help them overcome this, yes?
Because there is a paper being published in Science regarding how analytical thinking causes a decrease in religious belief.
I think it agrees with your opinion that religious views are too often the result of inaccurate thinking.
Edited by Panda, : No reason given.

CRYSTALS!!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by Jzyehoshua, posted 05-26-2012 4:16 AM Jzyehoshua has not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 284 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(1)
Message 4 of 7 (663761)
05-26-2012 2:35 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by Jzyehoshua
05-26-2012 4:16 AM


Re: Weasel Word
'Can' is a Weasel Word like maybe or perhaps, and doesn't really show anything. The computer in front of you 'can' blow up or someone drive a car through your living room, yet neither statement really indicates probability.
But my dear chap, it is you who is weaseling the word. They have shown that in their experiments at least, analytic thought doesdecrease religiosity. You can see perfectly well that those are in fact the results they've got. And then you weasel the word "can" by suggesting that when they say "can" they might be talking about some bare and remote future possibility, rather than something that they've watched happening. If there's a mustelid round here, it's you.
It's all circumstantial and depends to what extent one's religious belief or faith was founded on conviction from honest examination of the evidence as opposed to brainwashed ignorance.
But not, perhaps, in the way that you suppose. For example, no amount of analytical thinking alone will change your asinine opinions about hominid fossils as recently expressed in the age correlations thread --- precisely because they were formed, not on the basis of lazy thinking about the facts, but on the basis of complete ignorance of the facts. Analytic thought needs some material to work with. It is precisely "brainwashed ignorance" which will successfully defeat analytic thought.
It will, therefore, be just those religious people who have made some effort at honesty who will be made less religious by thinking more.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by Jzyehoshua, posted 05-26-2012 4:16 AM Jzyehoshua has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by Jzyehoshua, posted 05-26-2012 5:25 PM Dr Adequate has replied

  
ringo
Member (Idle past 412 days)
Posts: 20940
From: frozen wasteland
Joined: 03-23-2005


(2)
Message 5 of 7 (663764)
05-26-2012 3:05 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by Jzyehoshua
05-26-2012 4:16 AM


Re: Weasel Word
Jzyehoshua writes:
Religion like political beliefs or any kind of major worldview is too often the result of second-hand information where people simply rely on someone else to do their thinking rather than considering the evidence for themselves and reaching their own conclusions.
Exactly. That's why aberrations like creationism exist. Bad thinking makes for bad theology.
On the bright side, the experiment suggests that maybe bad thinking "can" be cured.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by Jzyehoshua, posted 05-26-2012 4:16 AM Jzyehoshua has not replied

  
Jzyehoshua
Member (Idle past 761 days)
Posts: 153
Joined: 06-10-2010


Message 6 of 7 (663772)
05-26-2012 5:25 PM
Reply to: Message 4 by Dr Adequate
05-26-2012 2:35 PM


Re: Weasel Word
But my dear chap, it is you who is weaseling the word. They have shown that in their experiments at least, analytic thought doesdecrease religiosity. You can see perfectly well that those are in fact the results they've got. And then you weasel the word "can" by suggesting that when they say "can" they might be talking about some bare and remote future possibility, rather than something that they've watched happening. If there's a mustelid round here, it's you.
That analytic thought does decrease religiosity is very different from can decrease religiosity. I see the latter shown from the findings, not the former, and again, to me it logically appears dependent upon the type of religiosity being discussed. I did look at the articles but the first gives no definite values while the second can't be accessed.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4 by Dr Adequate, posted 05-26-2012 2:35 PM Dr Adequate has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 7 by Dr Adequate, posted 05-26-2012 5:29 PM Jzyehoshua has not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 284 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(2)
Message 7 of 7 (663773)
05-26-2012 5:29 PM
Reply to: Message 6 by Jzyehoshua
05-26-2012 5:25 PM


Re: Weasel Word
That analytic thought does decrease religiosity is very different from can decrease religiosity. I see the latter shown from the findings, not the former.
But what they showed is that it did decrease religiosity.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 6 by Jzyehoshua, posted 05-26-2012 5:25 PM Jzyehoshua has not replied

  
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