Individual Differences in Existential Orientation: Empathizing and Systemizing Explain the Sex Difference in Religious Orientation and Science Acceptance

• Published in: Archive for the psychology of religion Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 119 - 146
• Main Authors: Rosenkranz, Patrick, Charlton, Bruce G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Brill 2013; BRILL
• Subjects: Archives; Atheism; Cognitive psychology; empathizing-systemizing; Empathy; existential orientation; Men; Psychology of religion; Religion; Religiosity; RESEARCH REPORTS; sex difference; Sex linked differences; Social psychology; theism

Abstract On a wide range of measures and across cultures and societies, women tend to be more religious than men. Religious beliefs are associated with evolved social-cognitive mechanisms such as agency detection and theory-of-mind. Women perform better on most of these components of social cognitio...