Term of Award
Spring 2007
Degree Name
Master of Science in Experimental Psychology (M.S.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Psychology
Committee Chair
Janie H. Wilson
Committee Member 1
Lawrence Locker
Committee Member 2
Katherine E. Wiegand
Abstract
Social networks are associated with positive health outcomes such as higher ratings of life-satisfaction, reduced risk of mortality, and decreased cardiovascular responses. Similarly, religiosity has been found to be beneficial to both physical and mental health. Specifically, religious involvement has been associated with decreased blood pressure and heart rate. Further, a social presence during a stressful event has been associated with reduced stress as measured by heart rate, blood pressure, and lower self-reported stress. However, this social buffering may not extend to a perceived presence, such as a higher deity. The current experiment examined whether prayer could reduce stress responses (blood pressure, heart rate, and self-reported anxiety levels) during a stressful situation and found that blood pressure and heart rate were not significantly related to treatment condition. However, a marginal association between condition and self-reported anxiety was found, suggesting that social buffering can be offered through prayer.
Recommended Citation
Schwartz, Amanda Cornell, "Social Buffering by God: Can Prayer Reduce Stress in an Experimental Setting?" (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 431.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/431
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
