@article{ref1,
title="Invocations and intoxication: does prayer decrease alcohol consumption?",
journal="Psychology of addictive behaviors",
year="2010",
author="Lambert, Nathaniel M. and Fincham, Frank D. and Marks, Loren D. and Stillman, Tyler F.",
volume="24",
number="2",
pages="209-219",
abstract="Four methodologically diverse studies (N = 1,758) show that prayer frequency and alcohol consumption are negatively related. In Study 1 (n = 824), we used a cross-sectional design and found that higher prayer frequency was related to lower alcohol consumption and problematic drinking behavior. Study 2 (n = 702) used a longitudinal design and found that more frequent prayer at Time 1 predicted less alcohol consumption and problematic drinking behavior at Time 2, and this relationship held when controlling for baseline levels of drinking and prayer. In Study 3 (n = 117), we used an experimental design to test for a causal relationship between prayer frequency and alcohol consumption. Participants assigned to pray every day (either an undirected prayer or a prayer for a relationship partner) for 4 weeks drank about half as much alcohol at the conclusion of the study as control participants. Study 4 (n = 115) replicated the findings of Study 3, as prayer again reduced drinking by about half. These findings are discussed in terms of prayer as reducing drinking motives.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0893-164X",
doi="10.1037/a0018746",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0018746"
}