Religion, cognitive style, and rational thinking

•Social liberalism, reflective thinking, and utilitarian judgments all correlate positively but negatively with religion.•It is unlikely that these correlations result from the way subjects do the experimental tasks. One possibility is that reflective cognitive style leads, over time, to social liberalism and reduced religious belief.•Or, studies sample different cultures, some influenced by the Enlightment and others based on pre-Enlightment doctrines.