Developing Belief: The Development and Diversity of Religious Cognition and Behavior: Phase 1

The Developing Belief Network will coordinate an international team of scholars in the collaborative study of the development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior. The infrastructure of the proposed network addresses two critical gaps in current understanding of the development and diversity of religious beliefs and behaviors. Psychological research on this topic is limited by (1) the lack of diverse populations sampled and (2) the lack of culturally-validated methods for examining how religious beliefs and behaviors are acquired and transmitted. In our planning phase, we worked with over a dozen expert advisors to formalize the nature and scope of the network. The objectives for the Phase 1: Infrastructure Building Phase are to (1) construct a research network through continued consultation with an advisory board and by soliciting proposals from scholars interested in joining the network, (2) design and translate culturally-valid measures for examining the acquisition and transmission of religious cognition and behavior in varieties of cultural settings, (3) develop a set of best practices for pre-registration and data sharing for cross-cultural, developmental research, (4) collect both cross-sectional and multi-timepoint data through the network of domestic and international fieldsites, and (5) build the sustainability of this network by securing additional sources of funding. We will also build capacity within this field by funding stipends for writing up and publishing the findings from relevant dissertation research, as well as by making the validated tasks publicly available for use by interested scholars. Finally, we will partner with Databrary to make electronic and video data available to the community of developmental scientists. This Phase 1 Infrastructure Building Grant will enhance awareness in both academic and non-academic audiences of the role of early exposure to religious beliefs and practices in child development.