Aaron David CherniakPhD Student
About me
I am a Doctoral Researcher at Stockholm University studying the psychology of spirituality/religion (S/R) in an attachment theory perspective with the co-supervision of Pehr Granqvist and Mario Mikulincer (Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Israel).
I am pursuing several directions of research along that theme. First, I aim to move beyond descriptive research of S/R and mental health by conceptualizing and validating explanatory models of why and how S/R can, favorably and unfavorably, functionally impact mental health and well-being. Second, I am studying spiritual experiences - in daily life and in transcendent moments - especially the subjective aspects of psychedelic experiences in psychedelic-assisted therapy and naturalistic settings. Third, I am interested in the role of parent-child relationships and children's socioemotional development in the transmission of religious belief and behavior. Fourth, I am currently completing a study of scientific and religious beliefs - including various cognitive-affect aspects of S/R such as spiritual health locus of control - related to COVID-19 in relation to a range of other variables. Specifically, I examine how these beliefs relate to trust in various figures about the pandemic, adherence to health directives, and mental health.
I strive to uphold the principles of the scientist-practitioner model. I am Director of JPSYCH - a lab that conducts research on Jewish S/R and mental health. JPSYCH disseminates information on mental health to the global Jewish community. I completed a clinical residency in the Mayanei HaYeshua Medical Center (Bnei Brak, Israel), where I advanced evidence-based practice and cultural competence in the treatment of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox population.
PhD - Stockholm University
MA - IDC Herzliya
BA - Yeshiva University
Rabbinic Ordination - Yeshiva University's RIETS
Publications
A selection from Stockholm University publication database
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Attachment theory and religion
2021. Aaron D. Cherniak (et al.). Current Opinion in Psychology 40, 126-130
ArticleRead more about Attachment theory and religionAttachment theory deals with the development and dynamics of interpersonal affectional bonds. It also provides a framework for understanding individuals’ relationship with God, which is central to religion. We review basic concepts of attachment theory and survey research that has examined religion both in terms of normative attachment processes and individual differences in attachment. We cite evidence from cross-sectional, experimental, and longitudinal studies showing that many religious individuals experience God as a source of resilience (e.g. a safe haven and secure base). We also summarize proposed attachment-related developmental pathways to religion. Finally, we review research on religion and mental health undertaken from an attachment viewpoint and discuss future directions.
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Implicit and explicit attitudes towards God and life satisfaction
2020. Steven Pirutinsky, Aaron Cherniak, David H. Rosmarin. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality 12 (4), 387-392
ArticleRead more about Implicit and explicit attitudes towards God and life satisfactionResearch suggests that spirituality and religion, particularly attitudes toward God, correlate with life satisfaction. These studies generally rely on self-reports. The current research utilized a reaction time task to test whether implicit and explicit attitudes toward God related with life satisfaction in a diverse Jewish sample. Results indicated that explicit and implicit attitudes did not significantly correlate with each other and that both correlated with life satisfaction. Regression modeling revealed a significant interaction. For those with more positive implicit associations, higher levels of positive explicit attitudes predicted higher life satisfaction, while for those with more negative implicit associations, explicit positive attitudes were unrelated to life satisfaction. Surprisingly, those with positive implicit associations and low levels of explicit positive attitudes reported the lowest life satisfaction. Explicit negative attitudes toward God were unrelated to life satisfaction. Results suggest that life satisfaction is best supported by consistent integration across both implicit and explicit domains.
Show all publications by Aaron David Cherniak at Stockholm University