Date

7-21-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

William McMillan

Keywords

Deconversion, Religious disaffiliation, Cognitive dissonance, Iterative accommodation, Religious identity change, Evangelicalism, Ideological migration, Grounded theory, Atheism, Behavioral psychology

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

This study developed a data driven, six stage model of deconversion, defined as the transition from publicly identifying as a Christian to publicly identifying as an atheist. Using a Grounded Theory approach for analysis, and an archival approach for data collection, the research analyzed 35 autobiographical accounts of deconversion to identify common psychological, social, and behavioral processes underlying religious-deidentification and atheist identification. The findings revealed six background features characteristic of religious environments with higher likelihood of producing deconverts, four categories of objections that precipitate dissonance, and six coping strategies individuals employ in response to that dissonance. Central to the model is a prolonged stage of Dissonance Accumulation and Coping, during which individuals cycle through doubt, temporary stabilization, and renewed conflict before reaching crisis. The resulting model integrates behavioral psychology and cognitive dissonance theory to provide a coherent framework for understanding belief revision and identity transformation. Implications for future quantitative research, cross cultural testing, and the study of ideological migration are discussed.

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