Williams-Gant Allison J, Weisman Kara, Amin Tamer G, Ghossainy Maliki E, Soueidan Ghadir, Nissel Jenny, Kenderla Praveen, Abdel-Hak Marwa, Anggoro Florencia K, Bangayan Samantha, Burdett Emily R R, Chau Emily, Chen Eva E, Chua Jallene, Coetzee Lezanie, Coley John D, Dahl Audun, Dautel Jocelyn B, Davis Elizabeth L, Davis Helen Elizabeth, DeLeon Adine, Diesendruck Gil, Evans Denise, Feeney Aidan, Fong Frankie T K, Foo Xuqing, Garcia Alison, Gonzalez-Rubio Isabela, Guerrero Galaz Elena, Gurven Michael, Hu Ying, Huachorunto Keila, Indrawati Komang, Jee Benjamin D, Kahwa Michael, Kahwa Unity, Korah Ringking, Kramer Hannah J, Kushnir Tamar, Kyriakopoulou Natassa, Lebepe Shitshembiso, Lee Hea Jung, Lesage Kirsten A, Leshabana Patricia, Li Dandan, Li Pearl Han, Llacua Jessica Tacza, Maluleke Vongani, Marin Ashley, Marshall Julia, Masebe Nthabiseng, McAuliffe Katherine, McLaughlin Abby, McMullan Anthea, McShane Caitlin, Min Casey, Mutegeki Mike, Namara Olive, Nichols Shaun, Nicolopoulou Ageliki, Nielsen Mark, Otali Emily, Parise Katerina, Paucar Xiomara Alicia, Payir Ayse, Poonawalla Sakina, Reyes-Jaquez Bolivar, Riddick Sophie, Rockers Peter C, Ruiz Justin K, Sanjidah Rifah, Shneidman Laura, Skopeliti Irini, Srinivasan Mahesh, Stegall Jessa, Stephens Joanna, Stutesman Megan G, Sun Jiayue, Tarullo Amanda, Taylor Laura K, Theogen Itangishatse, Toong Desiree, Turan-Küçük Esra Nur, Tusiime Patrick, Ventura Estefany Pizarro, Xu Jingyi, Ye Nina, Yu Yue, Yucel Meltem, Zhang Wenzhuo, Zhao Xin, Corriveau Kathleen H, Richert Rebekah A
Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 5;20(9):e0330727. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330727. eCollection 2025.
The Developing Belief Network is a global research collaborative studying religious development in diverse social-cultural settings, with a focus on the intersection of cognitive mechanisms and cultural beliefs and practices in early and middle childhood. The current manuscript describes the study protocol for the network's second wave of data collection, which aims to further explore the development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior using a multi-time point approach. This protocol is designed to investigate three key research questions-how children represent and reason about religious and supernatural agents, how children represent and reason about religion as an aspect of social identity, and how religious and supernatural beliefs are transmitted within and between generations-via a set of eight tasks for children between the ages of 5 and 13 years and a survey completed by their parents/caregivers. This study is being conducted in 41 distinct cultural-religious settings, spanning 16 countries and 12 written languages. In this manuscript, we provide detailed descriptions of all elements of this study protocol, and give a brief overview of the ways in which this protocol has been adapted for use in diverse religious communities. As one example of how this protocol has been implemented outside of the United States, we present Arabic- and English-language study materials for children being raised in one of the following religious traditions in Lebanon: the Druze faith, Maronite Christianity, Orthodox Christianity, Shia Islam, or Sunni Islam. We end with reflections on the challenges of developing and implementing large-scale, multi-site, multi-time point studies of child development; our approach to navigating these challenges; and our suggestions for how future researchers might learn from our experiences and build on the work presented here.
发展信仰网络是一个全球性的研究合作项目，旨在研究不同社会文化背景下的宗教发展，重点关注儿童早期和中期认知机制与文化信仰及实践的交叉点。当前的手稿描述了该网络第二轮数据收集的研究方案，其目的是采用多时间点方法进一步探索宗教认知和行为的发展与多样性。该方案旨在通过针对5至13岁儿童的八项任务以及由他们的父母/照顾者完成的一项调查，研究三个关键研究问题——儿童如何表征和推理宗教及超自然主体，儿童如何将宗教作为社会身份的一个方面进行表征和推理，以及宗教和超自然信仰如何在代内和代际之间传播。这项研究正在41个不同的文化宗教背景中进行，涵盖16个国家和12种书面语言。在这份手稿中，我们详细描述了该研究方案的所有要素，并简要概述了该方案如何被调整以适用于不同的宗教社区。作为该方案在美国境外实施的一个例子，我们展示了为在黎巴嫩以下宗教传统之一中成长的儿童准备的阿拉伯语和英语学习材料：德鲁兹教、马龙派基督教、东正教基督教、什叶派伊斯兰教或逊尼派伊斯兰教。我们最后反思了开展和实施大规模、多地点、多时间点儿童发展研究的挑战；我们应对这些挑战的方法；以及我们对未来研究人员如何借鉴我们的经验并在此基础上开展工作的建议。
