Dr Kristin Laurin is director of the MAGIC lab at the University of British Columbia. They study Motivation And Goals In Contexts.

Fancy acronyms aside, this means we study how motivations–from fundamental human motives like the need for control and autonomy, to your idiosyncratic personal goals like becoming a firefighter or running a sub-2-hour half marathon–relate to things like political ideologies, religious beliefs, moral codes, interpersonal relationships, norms, and much more.

Among her topics of study is religion.

Why do we believe in God? And what happens when we do? In our research on religion, we integrate multiple different perspectives on its origins and its functions. Most recently, we have borrowed the perspective of fellow UBC professor Ara Norenzayan and his colleagues, which states that cultural evolution processes favoured shared beliefs in Gods who are a) watchful, b) powerful, and c) concerned with human morality.

Building on these principles, we have explored the consequences of these kinds of Gods for human and societal functioning. We have explored how beliefs in God relate to self-regulation and goal pursuit, to social responsibility, to punishment to risk-taking, and even to close relationships!

All are welcome to attend. Join us at 10 am for BYO coffee, tea, and socializing. At 10:30 am we start our presentation and discuss topics of interest to our members.

The BC Humanist Association was formed in 1984 and we have a regular attendance of over 30 people at our Sunday meetings.

Click here for more details on how to find the Centre. Our events are independent of the Seniors' Centre and are open to people of all ages and backgrounds.