Publications

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Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

2026 and In Press

Leonhardt, N. D., Stellar, J. E., Ford, B. Q., Van Cappellen, P., & Impett, E. A. (2026). “It’s hard to shake God’s hand”: Gratitude to God motivates paying gratitude forward. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 52(7), 2079-2097. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251333161

Van Cappellen, P., Łowicki, P., Tan, C., Cameron, C. D., Bernal, A., & Manokara, K. (in press). Who cares? Religiosity’s role in compassionate responses to human suffering. Emotion.

Wilt, J. A., Van Tongeren, D. R., Van Cappellen, P., & Exline, J. J. (2026). Spirituality beyond religion: Development of 9-item and 27-item multidimensional measures of spiritual yearning. Journal of Personality Assessment, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2026.2630925

Bessa Kury, M. M., Fredrickson, B. L., Van Cappellen, P., & Don, B. P. (2026). Understanding the affective and mental health outcomes of meditation interventions: The role of individual differences in self-compassion. Mindfulness, 17, 1497-1513. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-026-02803-z

Van Tongeren, D. R., & Van Cappellen, P. (2026). The future of religious deidentification: Introduction to the special issue on leaving religion. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 36(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2025.2602288

Wilt, J. A., Exline, J. J., Van Tongeren, D. R., Van Cappellen, P., Swartz, S., Lindquist, M., Blanco, L., Pope, J., Martinez, S., & Liu, E. (2026). Yearning for something more: Inductive thematic analysis of spiritual yearning. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 36(1), 323-342. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2025.2505355

2025

Van Cappellen, P., Bernal, A. M., & Algoe, S. B. (2025). Using everyday prayer to test functions of gratitude in the context of religion. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251394647

Van Cappellen, P., Nelson, C., & McClear, J. F. (2025). The power of presence: Well-being and biopsychosocial effects of virtual versus in-person religious services. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 17(4), 499-503. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000575

Wormley, A. S., Vornlocher, C., Aglozo, E. Y., Jayawickreme, E., Johnson, K. A., Moon, J. W., Van Cappellen, P., Varma, A., Cohen, A. B. (2025). Religion and human flourishing. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 20(1), 43-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2297208

2024

Van Cappellen, P. & Drummond, T. (2024). Bodily Awareness: Religious culture’s associations with interoceptive sensibility. PLoS ONE 19(12): e0309216. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309216

Van Cappellen, P., Edwards, E., Ladd, K., Kamble, S., Yildiz, M. (2024). Kneel, stand, prostrate: The psychology of prayer postures in three world religions. PlosOne, 19(8): e0306924. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306924

2023

Wormley, A. S., Vornlocher, C., Aglozo, E.Y., Jayawickreme, E., Johnson, K.A., Moon, J.W., Van Cappellen, P., Verma, A., Cohen, A.B. (2025). Religion and human flourishing. Journal of Positive Psychology, 20(1), 43-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2297208

Van Cappellen, P., Zhang, R., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2023). The scientific study of positive emotions and religion/spirituality. In E. B. Davis, E. L. Worthington, Jr., & S. A. Schnitker (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology, religion, and spirituality (pp. 315-328). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10274-5_20

Van Cappellen, P., Clapp, A., & Algoe, S. (2023). God of the good gaps: Prevalence, eliciting situations, and demonstrations of gratitude to god as compared to interpersonal gratitude. Journal of Positive Psychology, 19(1), 66-82. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2190928 PDF

Reece, G. A., Van Tongeren, D. R., & Van Cappellen, P. (2023). Eternal outgroups: Afterlife beliefs predict prejudice. Personality and Individual Differences, 214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112352 PDF

The MARP Team. (2023). A many analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being. Religion, Brain, and Behavior, 13(3), 237-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2022.2070255 https://osf.io/qbdce/

Freeburg, P. A., Van Cappellen, P., Ratchford, J. L., & Schnitker, S. A. (2023). Meaning behind the movement: Attributing sacred meaning to fluid and nonfluid arm movements increases self–transcendent positive emotions and buffers the effects of nonfluidity on positive emotions. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 15(3), 425-436. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000463 Pre-print.

Van Cappellen, P., Edwards, M. E., Shiota, M. N. (2023). Shades of expansiveness: Postural expression of dominance, high-arousal positive affect, and warmth. Emotion, 23, 973-985. Pre-print.

Van Tongeren, D. R., DeWall, C. N., & Van Cappellen, P. (2023). A sheep in wolf’s clothing?: Toward an understanding of religious dones. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(1), 98-1119. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001269 PDF

Prinzing, M., Van Cappellen, P., & Fredrickson B.L. (2023). More than a momentary blip in the universe? Investigating the link between religiousness and perceived meaning in life. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 49, 180-196. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211060136 PDF

Van Cappellen, P., Cassidy, S., & Zhang, R. (2023). Religion as an embodied practice: Documenting the various forms, meanings, and associated experience of Christian prayer postures. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 15, 251-261. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000412 Pre-print

2022

Van Cappellen, P., Ladd, K. L., Cassidy, S., Edwards, M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2022). Bodily feedback: Expansive and upward posture facilitates the experience of positive affect. Cognition and Emotion, 36(7), 1327-1342. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2022.2106945 PDF

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, 32, 256-271. 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

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., Firestine, A. M., Brantley, M. M., Kim, S. L., Brantley, J., & Salzberg, S. (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

Van Cappellen, P. (2019). An early history of compassion. Emotion and imagination in Hellenistic Judaism. Revue Théologique de Louvain, 50(1), 103-104.

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


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

Van Cappellen, P., Saroglou, V., Iweins, C., Piovesana, M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). Journal file. Journal of Psychology & Theology, 41(4), 355-359.

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