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Mind-body dualism and health revisited: How belief in dualism shapes health behavior

Burgmer, Pascal, Forstmann, Matthias (2018) Mind-body dualism and health revisited: How belief in dualism shapes health behavior. Social Psychology, 49 (4). pp. 219-230. ISSN 1864-9335. (doi:10.1027/1864-9335/a000344) (KAR id:71323)

Abstract

Does a sound mind require a sound body? Whether or not lay people subscribe to this notion depends on their belief in mind-body dualism and critically shapes their health-related behaviors. Six studies (N = 1,710) revisit the relation between dualism and health. We replicate the negative correlation between belief in dualism and health behavior (Study 1) and extend it to behavior in the field (Study 2). Studies 3a and 3b investigate how belief in dualism shapes intuitions about the material origin of psychological well-being, while Studies 4a and 4b examine how these intuitions determine health-related outcomes. In sum, construing minds as different from bodies entails the intuition that mental well-being has little material substrate which in turn attenuates health-sustaining behaviors.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1027/1864-9335/a000344
Uncontrolled keywords: health attitudes, health behavior, mind-body dualism, implicit theories, experimental philosophy
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Pascal Burgmer
Date Deposited: 19 Dec 2018 23:58 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 15:50 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/71323 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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