death and science the existential underpinnings of belief in intelligent design and discomfort with evolution死亡和科学信仰的存在基础与进化智能设计和不适.pdf

Death and Science: The Existential Underpinnings of Belief in Intelligent Design and Discomfort with Evolution 1 2 1 Jessica L. Tracy *, Joshua Hart , Jason P. Martens 1 Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 2 Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, New York, United States of America Abstract The present research examined the psychological motives underlying widespread support for intelligent design theory (IDT), a purportedly scientific theory that lacks any scientific evidence; and antagonism toward evolutionary theory (ET), a theory supported by a large body of scientific evidence. We tested whether these attitudes are influenced by IDT’s provision of an explanation of life’s origins that better addresses existential concerns than ET. In four studies, existential threat (induced via reminders of participants’ own mortality) increased acceptance of IDT and/or rejection of ET, regardless of participants’ religion, religiosity, educational background, or preexisting attitude toward evolution. Effects were reversed by teaching participants that naturalism can be a source of existential meaning (Study 4), and among natural-science students for whom ET may already provide existential meaning (Study 5). These reversals suggest that the effect of heightened mortality awareness on attitudes toward ET and IDT is due to a desire to find greater meaning and purpose in science when existential threats are activated. Citation: Tracy JL, Hart J, Martens JP (2011) Death and Science: The Existential Underpinnings of Belief in Intelligent Design and Discomfort with Evolution. PLoS ONE 6(3): e17349. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017349 Editor: Christos Ouzounis, The Centre for Re