Cross-cultural perceptions of mind and soul: ethical implications of divergent intuitions

This dataset supports a study exploring perceptions of the mind and soul across diverse cultural and religious contexts. It includes a questionnaire survey protocol and numeric data available in both Excel and SPSS formats. The data was collected through a questionnaire survey administered to students in Poland (n = 225), Ukraine (n = 272), and Kazakhstan (n = 198). The dataset contains variables for individual questionnaire items as well as computed variables used in the analysis reported in the study.Research in cognitive science, psychology of religion, linguistics, and anthropology highlights the intertwined nature of the mind and soul in shaping perceptions of individuals. These concepts significantly influence human intuitions, integrating psychological, cognitive, religious, moral, and emotional dimensions. Moving beyond traditional dualistic views of the mind-body relationship, recent studies propose a tripartite model—body, mind, and soul—providing a more holistic and nuanced understanding of human cognition.This investigation, conducted across Catholic Poland, Orthodox Ukraine, and Islamic Kazakhstan, validates the intuitive association of the soul as distinct from the mind. The findings suggest that the soul functions independently of the mind, reflecting deep cultural and religious integration into human cognition. Furthermore, the study reveals ethical implications in moral dilemma judgments, influenced by the distinction between the mind and the soul.

本数据集支撑一项探索不同文化与宗教语境下心灵与灵魂认知的研究。其包含问卷调查方案与以Excel、SPSS格式存储的数值型数据。数据通过面向学生的问卷调查收集，调研对象分别来自波兰（n=225）、乌克兰（n=272）与哈萨克斯坦（n=198）。本数据集涵盖问卷各条目对应的变量，以及该研究报告中分析所用的计算变量。
认知科学、宗教心理学、语言学与人类学领域的研究表明，心灵与灵魂的相互交织特性，共同塑造了人们对个体的认知。这两个概念深刻影响人类直觉，整合了心理、认知、宗教、道德与情感等多个维度。相较于传统的心身二元关系观点，近期研究提出了身-心-灵魂三元模型，为人类认知提供了更具整体性与精细化的理解视角。
本研究覆盖天主教主导的波兰、东正教主导的乌克兰与伊斯兰文化主导的哈萨克斯坦，验证了"灵魂与心灵相区别"的直觉性关联。研究结果显示，灵魂的运作独立于心灵，这反映出文化与宗教因素已深度融入人类认知体系。此外，本研究还揭示了道德两难判断中的伦理意涵，其受到心灵与灵魂的区分的影响。