Caytlin Cox

First Name: 
Caytlin
Last Name: 
Cox
Mentor: 
Dr. Anondah Saide
Abstract: 
The long-standing view on the relationship between religiosity and health has been that the more religious individuals are, the better the socio-behavioral outcomes (Koenig et al., 2012). However, rates of religiosity are declining and scholars are debating the possibility that new secular worldviews can compensate (Galen, 2018). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to systematically examine what we currently know about the relationship between being non-religious and socio-behavioral well-being (e.g., prosociality, volunteerism). Using meta-analytical techniques, we searched for studies that: (1) included participants from the United States, (2) were published in a peer-reviewed outlet or as an approved thesis/dissertation, (3) measured well-being, and (5) included religiously secular individuals in their sample. Team members also cross-checked the reference list from each article to ensure that relevant articles were not missed. After applying our exclusion criteria, we were left with 108 articles (out of the 14,070 initially reviewed). Data extracted from each article included: sample characteristics (e.g., size, restrictions), measure(s) of religiosity and well-being, and correlation-related data. Preliminary results indicate that the perception that religiosity is positively associated with socio-behavioral well-being is consistent with the scholarship. This poster will present the results and discuss implications for secularism and well-being.
Poster: 
The Relationship Between Secularism and Socio-Behavioral Health: A Systematic Review