Psychology and Spirituality Research Lab
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ward Davis
Ward Davis directs the Psychology and Spirituality Research Lab (PSRL), which is a research team in the Psychology Department at Wheaton College. PSRL is comprised of Wheaton graduate and undergraduate psychology students. The mission of PSRL is to advance the scientific study of spirituality to promote health and well-being. At PSRL our research and resources focus on the intersection between psychology and spirituality, with an emphasis on positive psychology and Christian spirituality. Our activities primarily include: (a) writing scholarly articles and book chapters; (b) conducting original research and disseminating our findings; and (c) offering downloadable resources for use by scholars, scientists, practitioners, and leaders, as well as the interested public.
If you are interested in the scientific study of positive psychology and Christian spirituality, attracted to the scholarly and clinical integration of psychology and spirituality, or intrigued by how the study of psychology can help the Church, then the PSRL may be a great fit for you.
Some of our current research projects are focused on the following topics:
- religious deidentification among sexual minorities
- religious/spiritual struggles and maladaptive schemas among Christian college students
- religious/spiritual competencies among mental health professionals in Canada and Puerto Rico
- spiritual and emotional benefits of nature experiences
- intersections of racial discrimination, religion, and mental health among Black Americans
- the attachment patterns, mental health, and family functioning of adoptive adolescents and their caregivers
- personality factors that predict adolescent criminal offenses
- identify formation in young adult children of missionaries
- self-compassion, spirituality, and mental health among U.S. adolescents
- the effectiveness of an outdoor orientation program on undergraduates’ social, psychological, and spiritual adjustment to college
- the religiousness/spirituality and mental health of Christians navigating involuntary singleness
- the psychospiritual resilience narratives of Latinx immigrants to the U.S.