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Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

2023 and In Press

Van Cappellen, P., Clapp, A., & Algoe, S. (in press). God of the good gaps: Prevalence, eliciting situations, and demonstrations of gratitude to god as compared to interpersonal gratitude. Journal of Positive Psychology.

Van Cappellen, P., Ladd, K. L., Cassidy, S., Edwards, M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (in press). Bodily feedback: Expansive and upward posture facilitates the experience of positive affect. Cognition and Emotion. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2022.2106945 PDF

Van Cappellen, P., Edwards, M. E., Shiota, M. N. (in press). Shades of expansiveness: Postural expression of dominance, high-arousal positive affect, and warmth. Emotion. Pre-print.

Van Tongeren, D. R., DeWall, C. N., & Van Cappellen, P. (in press). A sheep in wolf’s clothing?: Toward an understanding of religious dones. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001269

Prinzing, M., Van Cappellen, P., & Fredrickson B.L. (in press). More than a momentary blip in the universe? Investigating the link between religiousness and perceived meaning in life. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211060136 PDF

2022

Don, B., P., Van Cappellen, P., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2022). Training in
mindfulness or loving-kindness meditation is associated with lower variability in
social connectedness across time. Mindfulness, 13, 1173-1184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01856-0 PDF

Naclerio, M., & Van Cappellen, P. (2022). Awe, group cohesion, and religious self-sacrifice. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2021.1975423 PDF

Van Cappellen, P., & LaBouff, J. (2022). Prejudice toward Christians and Atheists among members of nonreligious groups: Attitudes, behaviors, and mechanisms. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 25, 3-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430220906860 PDF

2021

Barczak-Scarboro, N. E., Van Cappellen, P., & Fredrickson B.L. (2021). For whom do meditation interventions improve mental health symptoms? Looking at the roles of psychological and biological resources over time. Mindfulness, 12, 2781–2793. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01742-1 PDF

Van Cappellen, P., & Edwards, M. (2021). Emotion expression in context: Full body postures of Christian prayer orientations compared to secular emotions. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 45, 545–565. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-021-00370-6 Pre-print

Van Cappellen, P., Cassidy, S., & Zhang, R. (2021). Religion as an embodied practice: Organizing the various forms and documenting the meanings of Christian prayer postures. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000412 Pre-print

Don, B., P., Van Cappellen, P., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2021). Understanding engagement in and affective experiences during physical activity: The role of meditation interventions. Psychosomatic Medicine, 83(6), 592–601. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000909 PDF

Van Cappellen, P., Edwards, M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2021). Upward spirals of positive emotions and religious behaviors. Current Opinion in Psychology, 40, 92-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.09.004  PDF  

Fredrickson, B. L., Arizmendi, C., & Van Cappellen, P. (2021). Same-day, cross-day, and upward spiral relations between positive affect and positive health behaviours. Psychology and Health, 36(4), 444–460.  https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2020.1778696  PDF

Van Cappellen, P. & Edwards, M. E. (2021). The embodiment of worship: Relations among postural, psychological, and physiological aspects of religious practice. Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion, 6(1-2), 56–79. https://doi.org/10.1558/jcsr.38683  PDF

2020

Galdiolo, S., Gaugue, J., Mikolajczak, M., & Van Cappellen, P. (2020). Development of trait emotional intelligence in response to childbirth: A longitudinal couple perspective. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.560127 PDF

Van Cappellen, P. & LaBouff, J. (2020). Prejudice toward Christians and Atheists among members of nonreligious groups: Attitudes, behaviors, and mechanisms. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430220906860 PDF

Łowicki, P., Zajenkowski, M., & Van Cappellen, P. (2020). It’s the heart that matters: The relationships among cognitive mentalizing ability, emotional empathy, and religiosity. Personality and Individual Differences, 161, 1–9.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.109976 PDF

Van Cappellen, P. (2020). The emotion of joy: A commentary on Johnson. Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(1), 40-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1685571 PDF

 Van Cappellen*, P., Catalino*, L., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2020). A new micro-intervention to increase the enjoyment and continued practice of meditation. Emotion, 20(8), 1332–1343. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000684 PDF

2019

Fredrickson, B. L., Arizmendi, C., Van Cappellen, P., Firestine, A. M., Brantley, M. M., Kim, S. L., Brantley, J., & Salzberg, S. (2019). Do contemplative moments matter? Effects of informal meditation on emotions and perceived social integration. Mindfulness, 10, 1915-1925.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01154-2 PDF

2018

Van Cappellen, P., Rice, E., Catalino, L., & Fredrickson, B. L. & (2018). Positive affective processes underlie positive health behavior change. Psychology and Health, 33(1), 77-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2017.1320798 (Special Issue on “Emotion, Health Decision-making, and Health Behaviour”) PDF

2017

Fredrickson, B. L., Boulton, A. J. , Firestine, A. M., Van Cappellen, P., Algoe, S. B., Brantley, M. M., Loundon Kim, S., Brantley, J., & Salzberg, S. (2017). Positive emotion correlates of meditation practice:  A comparison of mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation. Mindfulness, 8(6), 1623-1633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0735-9 PDF

Van Cappellen, P. (2017). Rethinking self-transcendent positive emotions and religion: Perspectives from psychological and biblical research. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 9(3), 254-263. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000101 (Special Issue on “The Psychology of Virtue: Integrating Positive Psychology and the Psychology of Religion”) PDF

Van Cappellen, P., Fredrickson, B. L., Saroglou, V., & Corneille, O. (2017). Religiosity and the motivation for social affiliation. Personality and Individual Differences, 113, 24-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.02.065 PDF OSF

2016

Martin-Krumm, C., Tamminen, K, Oger, M, Trousselard, M. , Ferrer, M-H, Van Cappellen, P., & Fredrickson, B. (2016). Les émotions, frein ou levier pour les apprentissages en EPS? In M. Campo & B. Louvet (Eds.), Les émotions en sport – Education physique, performance et santé (pp. 129-164). Bruxelles: Editions De Boeck.

Van Cappellen, P., Way, B., Isgett, S. F., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2016). Effects of oxytocin administration on spirituality and emotional responses to meditation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(10), 1579-1587. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw078 PDF Supplemental material Dataset and codebook on OSF

    See media coverage: e.g., The Huffington Post, Times LIVE, Psychology Today, Science News, Live Science.

Clobert, M., Van Cappellen, P., Bourdon, M., & Cohen, A. (2016). Good day for Leos: Horoscope’s influence on perception, cognitive performances, and creativity. Personality and Individual Differences, 101, 348-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.032 PDF

   Research featured on Netflix show “Explained” titled “Horoscope”

Van Cappellen, P., Toth-Gauthier, M., Saroglou, V., & Fredrickson, B. (2016). Religion and well-being: The mediating role of positive emotions. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17, 485-505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9605-5 PDF

Van Cappellen, P., Saroglou, V., & Toth-Gauthier, M. (2016). Religiosity and prosocial behavior among churchgoers: Exploring underlying mechanisms. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 26(1), 19-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2014.958004 PDF

2015

French translation: Van Cappellen, P., & Rimé, B. (2015). Émotions positives et transcendance de soi. Dans V. Saroglou (dir.), Psychologie de la religion: de la théorie au laboratoire (R. Kaelen, trad., pp. 111-129). Louvain-la-Neuve: De Boeck Supérieur.

Van Oyen, G. & Van Cappellen, P. (2015). Mark 15, 34 and the real reader: The results of an empirical survey. Ephemerides Theologica Lovanienses, 91(4), 569-599. https://doi.org/10.2143/ETL.91.4.3129669 PDF

2014

Van Cappellen, P. & Rimé, B. (2014). Positive emotions and self-transcendence. In V. Saroglou (Ed.), Religion, personality, and social behavior (pp. 123-145). New York, NY: Psychology Press. PDF

2013

Van Cappellen, P., Saroglou, V., Iweins, C., Piovesana, M., & Fredrickson, B., L. (2013). Self- transcendent positive emotions increase spirituality through basic world assumptions. Cognition and Emotion, 27(8), 1378-1394. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2013.787395 PDF

2012

Van Cappellen, P. & Saroglou, V. (2012). Awe activates religious and spiritual feelings and behavioral intentions. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 4(3), 223-236. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025986 PDF

    See media coverage: All about awe by Anna Mikulak, Observer, Vol.28, No.4 April, 2015. 

Van Cappellen, P. (2012). La fierté dans les Psaumes, ou le paradoxe de la glorification de soi en Dieu. [Pride in the Psalms, or the paradox of self-glorification in God]. Revue Théologique de Louvain, 43(3), 341-362. https://doi.org/10.2143/RTL.43.3.2172325 PDF

2011

Van Cappellen, P. (2011). Un rituel collectif: Analyse de 1 Ch 15-16 selon le modèle de E. Durkheim [A collective ritual : analyze of 1 Chr 15-16 from E. Durkheim’s perspective]. Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, 25(2), 289-302. PDF

Van Cappellen, P., Corneille, O., Cols, S., & Saroglou, V. (2011). Beyond mere compliance to authoritative figures: Religious priming increases conformity to informational influence among submissive people. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 21(2), 97-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2011.556995 PDF

2009

Saroglou, V., Corneille, O., & Van Cappellen, P. (2009). “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening”: Religious priming activates submissive thoughts and behaviors. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 19(3), 143-154. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508610902880063 PDF

Note: * = joint first authorship