Personal profile
About
Michael Nielsen has taught at Georgia Southern University since 1993. He received a B.A. in music and psychology from Southern Utah University in 1986 and a Ph.D. in social-organizational psychology from Northern Illinois University in 1992. Most of Dr. Nielsen’s studies concern religious conflicts, but he has also studied altered states of consciousness, philosophical aspects of psychology, and peace psychology. His current research interests center on themes of how people construe group boundaries in religion, in a context of religiously-influenced polygamy, and in more general contexts. He regularly offers courses in Psychology of Religion, Social Psychology, History of Psychology, Statistics, and Research Methods. Dr. Nielsen is President-Elect of The Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Division 36 of the American Psychological Association. He co-edits the Archive for the Psychology of Religion, the journal of the International Association for the Psychology of Religion. He also serves on the editorial boards of Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion and Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, and the advisory board of Pakistan Journal of Psychology. He is author of an award-winning website on the Psychology of Religion, has delivered invited lectures on that subject in Kyiv and Istanbul, and has received awards for service from the American Psychological Association and Georgia Southern University. When not at his desk, he enjoys being at home with his family, reading, kite flying, and volleyball.
Related links & documents
Disciplines
- Social Psychology
Research Interests
- Psychology of Religion
- Social Psychology
- History of Psychology
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
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SDG 4 Quality Education
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SDG 5 Gender Equality
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Leaving the Catholic Church: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Predictors of Leaving Intentions
Pummerer, L., Reinhardt, C. & Nielsen, M., Aug 30 2025, In: International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. 36, 1, p. 115-132 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Scopus citations -
Secular Spirituality
Nielsen, M. E. & Wilmoth, N., Jan 1 2025, Handbook of Spirituality, Health, and Well-Being: A Psychological Perspective. Taylor and Francis, p. 109-119 11 p.Research output: Contribution to book or proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
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On the relationships between prejudice and value orientations of Turkish university students
Ulu, M. & Nielsen, M., 2024, International Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities. Ankara: Serüven, p. 1-29 29 p.Research output: Contribution to book or proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
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Trust What I Say: Increasing Cooperation by Suggesting Others are Trustworthy
Marsh, M. S., Locker, L. & Nielsen, M. E., 2024, In: North American Journal of Psychology. 26, 2, p. 409-418 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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The Effect of a Guided Imagery Suggestion-based Intervention on Human Cooperation in the Stag Hunt Game
Marsh, M. S., Locker, L. & Nielsen, M. E., 2022, In: North American Journal of Psychology. 24, 1, p. 155-170 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Scopus citations