Does God Matter? Religious Content and the Evaluation of Comforting Messages

• In Event: Am I Saying the Right Thing? Providing Social Support in Interpersonal Relationships

Abstract

The current study was designed to examine how people evaluate comforting messages that incorporate religious content. Participants (N = 312) evaluated comforting messages representing different levels of person centeredness and types of religious content and completed measures of intrinsic religiosity and religious coping style. Results indicate a preference for messages in which God is described as responsible for helping the individual cope, but also variation in evaluation as a function of religiosity and religious coping style.

Authors

• Kristi Wilkum, Purdue University

• Erina MacGeorge, Purdue University