EXPLORING THE EFFECT OF RELIGION ON THE SELF: SELF-TRANSCENDENCE AS A MEDIATOR

Abstract

Research has consistently illustrated the influence of religion on prosociality. However, little attention has been paid to examine the underlying mechanisms driving these effects. Recent research proposed the inhibitory hypothesis where activation of God concept inhibited access to self-information. As an extension of these findings, the current study proposes that the inhibitory effect of God primes on self-concept accessibility is mediated by self-transcendence (expansion of self-boundary to ascend personal interests). As religion promotes self-transcendence, which leads to a shift in self-focus, it was predicted that those primed with God would have higher levels of self- transcendence and thus greater inhibition of self-concept. This was tested in two studies using a modified Implicit Association Test. Self-transcendence was measured (Study 1) and manipulated (Study 2). Consistent with the prediction, in Study 1, participants primed with God reacted slower to self-related words and had lower measured levels of self-transcendence than the control group. In Study 2, self-transcendence was manipulated through a self-priming task. Results further supported the self-inhibitory effect as participants primed with God and induced lowered self-transcendence had slower reaction times compared to the control groups. However, both studies only found partial mediation.