Planning Phase for the Developing Belief Network: The Ontogeny and Diversity of Religious Cognition and Behavior

The Developing Belief Network will coordinate international scholars in the collaborative study of cultural continuity and variation in the development of religious cognition and behavior. This network addresses two critical gaps in current understanding of the development and diversity of religious beliefs. First, the developmental literature on this topic is limited by the lack of diverse populations sampled and the lack of methods for examining how religious belief is socialized and learned. Second, a growing body of scholars have independent research programs on developing religious concepts and practices. The Developing Belief Network will bring these research programs together to study the most critical and pressing questions about religious development. The Planning Phase activities will provide a forum in which research sites can coordinate a collaborative research plan. The development of the network will occur in three phases: a Planning Phase, an Infrastructure Building Phase, and a Data Collection Phase. In the Planning Phase, the Lead Investigators will work with expert advisors to formalize the nature and scope of the network, and will contact researchers who may be interested in participating in this network. The outputs of the Planning Phase will include (1) the construction of a research network through consultation with an advisory board and research site PIs, (2) building a website that houses measures of religious cognition and behavior that have been validated and translated for use in a variety of cultural settings, and (3) a review paper, a special issue of a developmental psychology journal, and conference presentations devoted to consolidating existing research on religious cognition and behavior and presenting the newest findings on their role in development. This Planning Grant will enhance awareness in both academic and non-academic audiences of the role that early exposure to religious beliefs and practices plays on development.