Jan. 18, 2018
People are less certain there is one true faith if they spend a lot of time online, and they also are more likely to report having no religious affiliation, according to a Baylor study published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Baylor sociologist Paul K. McClure analyzed data from the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey of 1,714 American adults. “The Internet encourages tinkering with an assortment of spiritual options," McClure writes. In contrast, one's amount of TV viewing has no statistical effect on religiosity, the study found.

Jan. 17, 2018
Frequent Internet use may be causing Millennials to shy away from adherence to a specific religion, instead dabbling in ideas from many belief traditions, according to Baylor study published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. The phenomenon, known as “religious tinkering,” has evolved in the last decade or so as the population increasingly turns to smartphones and other devices during free time, said researcher Baylor sociologist Paul K. McClure.

Jan. 22, 2018
Internet use may decrease the likelihood of a person affiliating with a religious tradition or believing only one religion is true, according to a study by Baylor sociologist Paul K. McClure. While many Millennials have been influenced by their Baby Boomer parents when it comes to religion, the Internet exposes them to a broader array of religious traditions and beliefs. That may encourage them to “tinker” with their beliefs. The study was published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Jan. 22, 2018
Newly published research suggests that the Internet — which faith communities had hoped would bridge the gap with Millennials and the “nones” — may have a hand in keeping those and other demographics away. A study by Baylor University sociologist Paul McClure found that those who used the Internet were less likely to believe in only one true religion and more likely to “tinker” with religion by believing in multiple — and sometimes conflicting — faith traditions. The study was published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Jan. 10, 2018
Belief that mental illness is biological has increased among both health experts and the public in recent years. But campaigns to treat it as a disease and increase social acceptance may be lacking because other factors, such as bad character and upbringing, still are viewed as playing a role, a Baylor University study has found. Quoted is research lead author Matthew A. Andersson, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology.

Jan. 18, 2018
Frequent use of the Internet may be making people less dogmatic about religion, according to a study by Baylor sociologist Paul K. McClure that was published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. He found that the more people use the Internet, the less likely they are to have a specific religious affiliation or to believe in and practice one religion exclusively.

Jan. 16, 2018
People who are religious “tinkerers” — cobbling together spiritual beliefs to suit themselves — may have picked up the habit online, according to a Baylor study published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Researcher and sociologist Paul K. McClure said that respondents who spent more time online were more likely to skip religious services and more likely to take a pluralistic view of religion, rather than believing that only one religion is true. (Terry Goodrich, assistant director of Baylor Media Communications, covers sociology research and is pitching this study to national media.)

Jan. 18, 2018
Frequent Internet use may have prompted Millennials to see themselves as "free agents" who are less likely to choose a religious tradition or believe that only one religion is true, according to a study led by Baylor sociologist Paul K. McClure. The study, published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, also examined television viewing and found that it was linked to religion, but in a different way -- lower religious attendance and other religious activities that take time.

Jan. 9, 2018
Belief that mental illness is biological has increased among both health experts and the public in recent years. But campaigns to treat it as a disease and increase social acceptance may be lacking because other factors, such as bad character and upbringing, still are viewed as playing a role, a Baylor University study has found. Quoted is research lead author Matthew A. Andersson, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology.

Jan. 10, 2018
Essay about a Baylor study on mental illness and stigma published in the journal Society and Mental Health. A data analysis from a survey of more than 1,100 individuals showed that even when people acknowledged biological and genetic causes of mental illness, they didn't rule out things like bad character or upbringing as contributors. Simply believing that mental illness is a medical condition is not enough to get rid of the stigma. Quoted is lead author Matthew A. Andersson, Ph.D., lead author and assistant professor of sociology in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. (Terry Goodrich, assistant director of Baylor Media Communications, covers sociology research and is pitching these findings to national media.)

Jan. 9, 2018
Belief that mental illness is biological has increased among both health experts and the public in recent years. But campaigns to treat it as a disease and remove stigma may be lacking because other factors, such as bad character and upbringing, still are viewed as playing a role, a Baylor University study has found. Quoted is research lead author Matthew A. Andersson, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology. (Terry Goodrich, assistant director of Baylor Media Communications, pitched this story. She covers sociology research and faculty.)

Jan. 9, 2018
Baylor sociologist Blake V. Kent is quoted in that story about prayer and stress. In recent research he co-authored, he found “where the perception of God is secure, warm and loving, then prayer is associated with positive mental health outcomes and coping with stressors. But when the perception of God is distant or disconnected, prayer is associated with negative outcomes.”

Jan. 9, 2018
Baylor sociologist Blake V. Kent is quoted in this article about prayer and stress. In recent research he co-authored, Kent found “where the perception of God is secure, warm and loving, then prayer is associated with positive mental health outcomes and coping with stressors. But when the perception of God is distant or disconnected, prayer is associated with negative outcomes.”

Jan 9, 2018
Jerry Z. Park, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology and Affiliate Fellow of the Institute for Studies on Religion at Baylor University, discusses the racial wealth gap between black and white households. Historically, there is evidence of direct and indirect collusion between banks and real estate brokers to prevent neighborhood integration, with white-dominant neighborhoods perceived as greater in value, he said. That resulted in lower tax revenue used to fund black public schools, with the results being less opportunity to attend college and ultimately get better-paying jobs.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 9, 2018) — Belief that mental illness is biological has increased among both health experts and the public in recent years. But campaigns to treat it as a disease and remove stigma may be lacking because other factors, such as bad character and upbringing, still are viewed as playing a role, a Baylor University study has found.

Dec. 21, 2017
Americans feel stressed during the holidays — and year-round. But while a growing number of Americans turn to meditation and yoga to de-stress, only about 29 percent pray to help ease stress. And for those who pray, prayer is not always a cure-all, said Baylor sociologist and researcher Blake V. Kent, who recently co-authored a study on prayer with Matt Bradshaw, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology at Baylor.

Dec. 30, 2017
This article about prayer’s role in well-being quotes Blake V. Kent, a Ph.D. candidate in the department of sociology in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences, about some of his research. “Fundamentally, prayer is based on the assumption that God cares about you and is interested in you,” Kent said. “If (you believe) those two things are true, then prayer would have great mental health benefits because it means you’re not alone. Just as any close and caring relationship provides social support, so does a positive relationship with God.”