Religion, Brain and Behavior

Top Research Topics at Religion, brain and behavior?

Religion, brain and behavior mostly deals with topics like Social psychology, Epistemology, Cognitive psychology, Cognition and Religiosity. The presented Social psychology study covers related areas such as Prosocial behavior and also touches on topics like Religious belief. It focuses on Epistemology but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Social science, Sociocultural evolution and Cognitive science of religion.

The journal features Cognition research that overlaps with concepts in Cognitive science.

• Social psychology (29.89%)
• Epistemology (26.24%)
• Cognitive psychology (10.11%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

• Does synchrony promote generalized prosociality (116 citations)
• The need to believe: a neuroscience account of religion as a motivated process (79 citations)
• Religious actions speak louder than words: exposure to credibility-enhancing displays predicts theism (76 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Religion, brain and behavior:

The main points discussed in the most cited publications deal with Social psychology, Religiosity, Cognitive psychology, Prosocial behavior and Cognition. While Social psychology is the focus of the published papers, it also provides insights into the studies of Developmental psychology, Atheism and Priming (psychology). The published papers about Cognitive science of religion under the umbrella field of Cognition overlap with concepts in Function (engineering).

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

• Law
• Epistemology
• Social psychology

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

Religion, brain and behavior tackles a plethora of topics, such as Epistemology, Social psychology, Pleasure, Cognitive science of religion and Sociocultural evolution. The journal holds forums on Epistemology that merges themes from other disciplines such as Sense of presence and Prayer. It investigates Social psychology research which frequently intersects with State (polity).

The studies on Pleasure discussed can also contribute to research in the domains of Aesthetics, Natural selection, Religious experience, Pragmatism and Rest (physics). The journal addresses concerns in Cognitive science of religion which are intertwined with other disciplines, such as Transparency (behavior), Corpus linguistics, Field (Bourdieu) and China. The studies in Sociocultural evolution featured incorporate elements of Asceticism and Focus (linguistics).

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

• Religiosity and religious attendance as factors in wellbeing and social engagement (5 citations)
• A cross-cultural study of the elementary forms of religious life: shamanistic healers, priests, and witches (2 citations)
• The intertwined cultural evolution of ascetic spiritualities and puritanical religions as technologies of self-discipline (1 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

Top authors and change over time

The top authors publishing in Religion, brain and behavior (based on the number of publications) are:

• Joseph Bulbulia (37 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition,
• Wesley J. Wildman (35 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
• Richard Sosis (33 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
• Uffe Schjoedt (23 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
• Benjamin Grant Purzycki (11 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Top affiliations and change over time

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Religion, brain and behavior (based on the number of publications) are:

• University of Oxford (33 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
• Aarhus University (27 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
• University of Connecticut (24 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Boston University (22 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Victoria University of Wellington (22 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 18.18% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 40.74% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 11.11% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 14.81% of all publications and 33.33% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

• Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
• Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
• Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
• Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
• Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Careers In the Field of Religion, Brain, and Behavior Research

Exploring the field of Religion, Brain, and Behavior research can open up various career paths. This interdisciplinary field avails several opportunities ranging from academia to forensic science. One such career path that exists within this academic sphere is the role of a forensic scientist, a profession that lies at the intersection of scientific analysis and the legal system.

A forensic scientist's role is a fascinating and critical one that often involves the application of scientific methodology to the understanding and prevention of crime. They examine physical evidence collected from crime scenes using scientific and analytical techniques to aid legal inquiries and court cases. Interestingly, their job is not restricted to the lab; they also visit crime scenes, work with other professionals in the legal ecosystem, and even testify in court.

The journey to becoming a forensic scientist requires academic qualifications and practical training. Many begin their journey with a solid foundation in science, and then specialize in forensics through graduate education and professional experience. Additionally, it's beneficial to have an understanding of the social and behavioral sciences to approach investigations from a comprehensive perspective.

For more structured career path guidance, our detailed guide on how to become a forensic scientist in Louisiana elaborates on the required educational background, the typical responsibilities of this role, and potential steps for career growth.

Ultimately, the field of Religion, Brain, and Behavior research extends beyond the theoretical exploration of social, psychological, and cognitive phenomena. It offers several rewarding career opportunities for those who aspire to utilize their skills in the real world to contribute positively to society.