Dr. Ralph Hood, professor in the UTC Department of Psychology, and his team of researchers are hoping at least 600 participants in the United States will take a survey about spirituality and religion. A new project entitled “‘Being Spiritual’ in Germany and the U.S.A.” is being conducted by Hood’s team with the Center for Biographical Studies in Contemporary Religion at Bielefeld University in Bielefeld, Germany, which also hopes for at least 600 survey participants.
Though Chattanooga is an ideal place to base this project because of the number of church members, Hood is not solely interested in religious people taking the survey. He also seeks those who consider themselves spiritual, but not necessarily affiliated with a church as well as those who are neither spiritual nor religious.
To take the survey, please visit spiritsurvey.com.
Hood and graduate students in the UTC Psychology Department will present initial abstracts at The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Conference, which begins Friday, October 29, in Baltimore. However, survey analysis will be on-going as results are assessed.
At this time, there is no end date to take the survey. It will be available for those interested in taking it for the foreseeable future.
Hood says it is economical to offer an online survey, but he is also interested in surveying those who wish to take a hard copy survey. He encourages those with a computer to print off copies for those who wish to participate, with the hope of including older participants.
A book detailing the results will be published in Germany and the United States, according to Hood.
For more information, please email Susan Kosciolek Salerno at rfs894@mocs.utc.edu
