The election of Pope Leo XIV and its impact on the meaning of life for Roman Catholic Christians: A longitudinal experience sampling method study in the USA before, during, and after the pope’s election
Recent Publication
A study from the Department of Psychological Methodology has shown that the election of a new pope has a significant impact on Catholic Christians' sense of meaning in life. Over the 14 days in which the election took place, 117 participants completed a total of 1,470 questionnaires. The result: the election led to people seeing more meaning in life and actively searching for it, with the positive effects lasting at least ten days. Interestingly, this effect was also seen in less religious Catholics. The researchers explain the phenomenon with social theories such as emotional contagion and identification with the community.
Stieger, S., Volsa, S., & Willinger, D. (2025). The election of Pope Leo XIV and its impact on the meaning of life for Roman Catholic Christians: A longitudinal experience sampling method study in the USA before, during, and after the pope’s election. Journal of Positive Psychology, 1-11. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2025.2569082
Univ.-Prof. PD Mag. Dr. Stefan Stieger
Head of
Department of Psychological Methodology
Dr.in Selina Volsa MSc
Programmer
Department of Psychological Methodology
Dr. David Willinger MSc
Scientific Staff (PostDoc)
Department of Psychological Methodology