Psychologists' views of a patient's religiousness.

500 psychologists were mailed clinical vignettes and a questionnaire regarding a prospective patient seeking to adopt a child. The vignettes were equivalent except for a paragraph stating the patient's religious beliefs. Analysis showed that neither statements of religiousness nor stability of belief was shown to influence the clinicians' judgements on whether adoption should occur, the probability that they would recommend therapy, or estimate of the patient's adaptive functioning. Psychologists with 13 to 19 years of experience were more likely to recommend therapy than more or less experienced groups, although this finding was not related to religiousness.