To Find a Mate, People Find Religion

[BridgeTheGap]

When sexual competition heats up, people turn toward god. A recent study highlighted by Miller McCune indicates that when people perceive competition over potential mates, they report themselves as “significantly more religious” than other people. The researchers tested college undergraduates by showing them profiles of attractive people and then asking about how religious they are. The men who saw profiles of attractive men, and the women who saw profiles of attractive women, reported that they were more religiously intense than people who were shown profiles of people of the opposite sex. According to Miller McCune, the study seems to imply that “religiosity, like so many other human values, is not as firm and consistent as we tend to believe.”

http://www.utne.com/Spirituality/To-Find-a-Mate-People-Find-Religion-5821.aspx?utm_content=12.02.09+Spirituality&utm_campaign=Spirituality&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email

[dmallind]

1. Now this is a fun concept

...I confess I'm buggered if I can work out what it tells us about human thought processes, but fascinating nonetheless.

[Schema Thing]

2. Weird, innit? I'm even wondering if it could be some bizarre sexual response

like a type of deep-seated homophobia, ie; "think about something besides gay sex with Johnny Depp, think about sex with Jesu...er, think about Jesus, dammit!".

[Laelth]

3. When we know our competition is more attractive than we are, we stress our "deep" qualities.

Like spirituality. Makes sense to me.

:dem:

-Laelth

[dmallind]

5. Sure - but is spirituality an attractive trait?

And I'm not saying that as a nonbeliever poking at religion (though I am one and I am far from above poking). Just take your general believer as an example. Many believers are not particularly dedicated or devout, and would probably be put off as much as atheists by somebody stressing the depths of their belief. I would think intensifying your beliefs would be an attractant only to a minority.

But hey I'm pretty homely and an atheist so what would I know.

Follow up Q - is this consistent with those seeking same sex relationships do you think? Obviously men are still competition for other men regardless of whether you both seek men or women, but I wonder if there is anything about the different hardwiring that causes different responses? I guess that depends on whether this is nature or nurture driven.

[Laelth]

9. I got the sense that the title of the essay did not accurately reflect the research.

I'm non-religious, but the results of the study still makes sense to me. When we are faced with more physically attractive competition, it's likely that we will highlight "other" qualities to potential mates to overcome our perceived lack of attractiveness, including "spiritual qualities," if those are important to us.

I don't think that necessarily means highlighting membership in organized religion, and I don't think that's what the study says. Again, I think this essay's title is misleading, but the results of the research ring true to me.

Hope that makes some sense and comes close to answering your question.

:dem:

-Laelth

[charlie]

4. In a mostly religious society

it could be shorthand for saying I'm safe, decent, and trustworthy.

[groovedaddy]

6. Used car salesmen do the same thing. n.t

[DeSwiss]

10. ....

"Deep within the heart of every evangelist lies the wreck of a car salesman." ~ H. L. Mencken

[rd_kent]

8. Thats funny...

because in mostly religious societies, the most devout are NOT safe, decent and trustworthy.

[silverweb]

7. Hardly surprising.

It's just self promotion to get ahead -- whatever the goal is. And as we know from people who use "embellished" résumés or misrepresent their intentions, it isn't necessarily honest.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. I know how to meet a nice agnostic boy....

I found one at a Unitarian Universalist church.