FAQ > About Subjective Well-Being (Happiness and Life Satisfaction), by Dr. Diener > Q: Is religion counterproductive to high SWB?
A. Many studies, including those based on broad, international samples, show that people who claim to be religious also report higher SWB. This effect is not always strong. For example, in a random-digit dialing study we did with the Gallup Organization, we found a small but statistically significant correlation between religious belief (belief in God and a soul) and reported life satisfaction. A number of factors are probably responsible for the relation between religiosity and SWB - the social support that religion provides and the comforting belief system, for example. It could also be that the people who are disbelievers, in a society where religiosity and belief are the norms, on average tend to be unusual people with some characteristics that can lead to unhappiness. Or it could be that being in tune with a society's general belief system (e.g., in democracy, in religion, in socialism) is much easier than being a skeptic and critic. Much more research needs to be conducted on when and why religious people are happier.
Last updated on September 14, 2007 by Dr. Walt