"The Myth of the Angry Atheist" by Brian P. Meier, Adam Fetterman et al.

Psychology Faculty Publications

Title

Authors

Brian P. Meier, Gettysburg CollegeFollow
Adam Fetterman, North Dakota State UniversityFollow
Michael D. Robinson, North Dakota State University - Main CampusFollow
Courtney M. Lappas, Lebanon Valley CollegeFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2015

Department 1

Psychology

Abstract

Atheists are often portrayed in the media and elsewhere as angry individuals. Although atheists disagree with the pillar of many religions, namely the existence of a God, it may not necessarily be the case that they are angry individuals. The prevalence and accuracy of angry-atheist perceptions were examined in 7 studies with 1,677 participants from multiple institutions and locations in the United States. Studies 1–3 revealed that people believe atheists are angrier than believers, people in general, and other minority groups, both explicitly and implicitly. Studies 4–7 then examined the accuracy of these beliefs. Belief in God, state anger, and trait anger were assessed in multiple ways and contexts. None of these studies supported the idea that atheists are particularly angry individuals. Rather, these results support the idea that people believe atheists are angry individuals, but they do not appear to be angrier than other individuals in reality.

Copyright Note

This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.

DOI

10.1080/00223980.2013.866929

Recommended Citation

Meier, B. P., Fetterman, A. K., Robinson, M. D., & Lappas, C. M. "The Myth of the Angry Atheist." Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied 149.3 (May 2015), 219-238.