The anthropomorphism of god and beliefs in tempting fate when the mind is busy

• Main Author: Muhammad Iylia Mohd Hutta
• Other Authors: Albert Lee Kai Chung
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Social sciences::Psychology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/148877
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Why are people reluctant to call attention to a string of successes? Why are people unwilling to claim that they would never fall sick even when leading a healthy lifestyle? These observations are related to the beliefs in tempting fate, or the beliefs that acts of hubris or presumption increases the perceived likelihood of an ironic outcome. We propose that a key assumption underlying belief in tempting fate is the anthropomorphism of God, in that God is mentally represented as possessing the mental capacities to react to reprehensible behaviors in the same way a human would. Put differently, it would be unlikely that God is able to recognize a behavior as presumptuous, react to it in displeasure, and punish it with a touch of irony unless God is perceived as an anthropomorphic agent. In other words, if God were mentally represented in theologically, God should not be concerned with behaviors that tempt fate, thus weakening such beliefs. Furthermore, given the intuitive nature of beliefs in tempting fate, the link between the anthropomorphism of God and beliefs in tempting fate should be moderated by cognitive load. These predictions were examined with community samples in the United States. Contrary to predictions, anthropomorphism of God did not elicit beliefs in tempting fate nor was it moderated by cognitive load. Yet, exploratory analyses left open the possibility of the anthropomorphism of God eliciting beliefs in tempting fate, moderated by cognitive load. Possible explanations for null results, limitations and recommendations for future studies are discussed.