With God on our side: Religious primes reduce the envisioned physical formidability of a menacing adversary.

摘要: The imagined support of benevolent supernatural agents attenuates anxiety and risk perception. Here, we extend these findings to judgments the threat posed by a potentially violent adversary. Conceptual representations bodily size strength summarize factors that determine relative foes. proximity allies moderates envisioned physical formidability adversaries, suggesting cues access will reduce threatening target. Across two studies, subtle both earthly social reduced criminal. These manipulations had no effect on perceived likelihood encountering non-conflictual danger, raising possibility leads participants view themselves not as shielded from perilous situations, but protected should perils arise.