| dc.description.abstract | Research concerning the effects of extraterrestrial beliefs has been largely concerned with its correlation to other paranoid beliefs and mental health issues. This study, however, attempts to understand the more intrapersonal consequences of beliefs in extraterrestrial life. In this study we randomly assigned participants from Texas A&M University to read a prompt stating that scientists have come to the conclusion that life is either scarce to non-existent outside of Earth, or highly likely and abundant while looking at photos taken from the Hubble Space Telescope. The differences between the two groups average responses to items measuring meaning, mattering, and spirituality, as well as other items, was examined. It was hypothesized that those within the group being told extraterrestrial life was scarce will have a decreased general meaning in life and mattering, with an increase in spirituality and religiosity when compared to those within the group told extraterrestrial life is abundant. Data suggests that although there was no direct correlation with the conditions and meaning in life, mattering, or spirituality, religiosity was a moderating variable between the conditions and both general meaning in life and the variable comprehension. | |
