Analytical Thinking, Religious Beliefs Separated in New Study
It may seem to be one of those things where you think, “did we need a study to tell us this?” but a new study has shown that people who are analytical thinkers are less prone to harboring strong religious beliefs.
The study did not come out of No Shit, Sherlock University, but rather the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. The research examined the thinking processes of those who identify as being faithful versus what was presumably a bunch of heathens. In between mocking the Baby Jesus and indoctrinating children into homosexuality via socialism, the non-believers were tasked with answering questions about faith as well as tested on how well they analyzed certain problems.
Stacked against their religious peers, it is probably not a surprise that those who were better at answering questions that required analytical thinking tended to be the heathen group. The Kansas City Star explains:
“For example, students were asked this question: “A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?” The intuitive answer – 10 cents – would be wrong. A little math on the fly reveals that the correct answer would be 5 cents… After answering three of these questions, the students were asked to rate a series of statements on belief, including, “In my life I feel the presence of the Divine,” and “I just don’t understand religion.” Students who answered the three questions correctly – and presumably did a better job of engaging their analytical skills – were more likely to score lower on the belief scales.”
The study on religious beliefs versus analytical thinking was published in today’s issue of the journal Science.
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About the Author
Kim LaCapria Kim LaCapria is a writer and editor based in New York. A longtime information junkie, she began blogging full-time at the Inquisitr in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a marketing assistant in the cosmetics and skincare industry. In addition to her writing for fortytwotimes, she also writes for Medacity and The Inquisitr. Kim is also a contributor for SocialNewsDaily, Indyposted, and TotallyMoney. In the past, she contributed to Lipstick and Luxury and managed social media accounts and blogs for several small and mid-sized businesses.
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