Change of Mind or Heart?: Some Cognitive and Emotional Characteristics of Religious Conversions 

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<br/><br/> This study focused on the relative predominance of cognitive and emotional factors in precipitating religious conversions.  Three hypotheses derived from cognitive theories of behavior were examined.  Converts and non-converts differed markedly on all the variables that measured emotional dynamics and well-being.  Converts reported a more stressful and traumatic childhood and a more stressulf adolescence as compared to non-converts.  The incidence of father-absence and of conflictual relationship with the father were particularly high in the converts' sample.  Atnecedents to conversion indicated a high frequency of stress and emotional turmoil prior to the conversion and a low  frequency of cognitive search.