Masters Kevin S, Spielmans Glen I
Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244-2340, USA.
J Behav Med. 2007 Aug;30(4):329-38. doi: 10.1007/s10865-007-9106-7. Epub 2007 May 3.
This article reviews the empirical research on prayer and health and offers a research agenda to guide future studies. Though many people practice prayer and believe it affects their health, scientific evidence is limited. In keeping with a general increase in interest in spirituality and complementary and alternative treatments, prayer has garnered attention among a growing number of behavioral scientists. The effects of distant intercessory prayer are examined by meta-analysis and it is concluded that no discernable effects can be found. The literature regarding frequency of prayer, content of prayer, and prayer as a coping strategy is subsequently reviewed. Suggestions for future research include the conduct of experimental studies based on conceptual models that include precise operationally defined constructs, longitudinal investigations with proper measure of control variables, and increased use of ecological momentary assessment techniques.
本文回顾了关于祈祷与健康的实证研究，并提出了一个研究议程以指导未来的研究。尽管许多人进行祈祷并相信其会影响自身健康，但科学证据有限。随着对灵性以及补充和替代疗法的兴趣普遍增加，祈祷在越来越多的行为科学家当中受到了关注。通过荟萃分析检验了远程代祷的效果，得出的结论是未发现明显效果。随后回顾了关于祈祷频率、祈祷内容以及作为应对策略的祈祷的文献。对未来研究的建议包括基于概念模型开展实验研究，该模型要包含精确的、操作上有明确界定的结构，进行纵向调查并适当测量控制变量，以及更多地使用生态瞬时评估技术。
