A new paper by Patty Van Cappellen and former BABLab members Cai Liu and Amanda Bernal has been accepted for publication in Group Processes & Intergroup Relations:

Van Cappellen, P., Bernal, A. M., & Liu, C. (2026). Disentangling religiosity: Specific religious perspectives reduce intergroup bias. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 13684302261469469. https://doi.org/10.1177/13684302261469469

Across four studies involving more than 2,300 participants in the United States, the researchers examined how specific dimensions of religiosity influence attitudes and behaviors toward social groups. The findings showed that two religious perspectives, a benevolent image of God and a more liberal religious ideology, were associated with lower levels of intergroup bias. Viewing God as loving, forgiving, and compassionate was associated with more favorable judgments and greater support for groups whose values may differ from traditional religious beliefs. Similarly, religious perspectives emphasizing openness, pluralism, and engagement with different viewpoints were linked to greater fairness across group boundaries.

Importantly, the reduction in bias resulted from increased support for marginalized groups rather than decreased support for other groups. The findings demonstrate the importance of viewing religiosity as a multidimensional concept and highlight how certain religious perspectives may encourage inclusion, compassion, and bridge-building across differences.

The research was recently featured by Duke University’s Social Science Research Institute in the article “How Religious Perspectives Can Reduce Bias.” See the SSRI article here!