About me

Job Chen is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing, and an affiliate faculty at Health Psychology. He received the Early Career Award from the International Association for the Psychology of Religion in 2023. He serves on the board of the International Association for the Psychology of Religion and has previously held a council position with the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. He also serves as Associate Editor for Archive for the Psychology of Religion and International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. Chen earned his PhD in Psychology and a Master’s in Mathematics from the University of Oregon, following a Master’s degree in Psychology of Religion from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Before joining UNC Charlotte, he worked as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Clemson University. With collaborators from Tibet, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Germany, Ghana, South Africa, Colombia, and the US, Chen has conducted research and published extensively on mysticism, spirituality, and wellbeing. He maintains methodological expertise and interest in statistics, measurement, and experimental design.

Research Interests and Grants Support

Mysticism encompasses a wide range of extraordinary experiences characterized by two fundamental criteria – a transcendence of the perceived reality and a transformation of the perceiver. Across cultures and individuals, mysticism can manifest in monistic, nondualistic, dualistic, or pluralistic forms (Chen, 2024), yet converging on common psychological ground, as exemplified by the Dao-Buddhist adage, “true emptiness and wondrous existence.” My main academic interest focuses on the psychological dimensions of extraordinary human experiences and their impact on shaping our lives. Drawing from my personal heritage, I maintain a particular emphasis on Tibetan, Daoist, and Shamanistic psychologies.

Education

  • Ph.D., Psychology, University of Oregon (2017)
  • M.S., Mathematics, University of Oregon (2015)
  • M.S., Psychology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2011)

Publications

Google Scholar

2024
  1. Chen, Z. J. (2024). Psychology of mysticism: Toward a layered hierarchy model. Archive for the Psychology of Religion.
  2. Chen, Z. J., Khan, Z., Cowden, R., Palitsky, R. & Huang, Y. (2024). Call and response: A six-wave study of bidirectional links between religiosity and spirituality among Pakistani Muslims during Ramadan. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 16(1), 54-62. 
  3. Chen, Z. J. & Nute, K. (2024). Looking forward to the future: Visual prospects and optimism. In K.Nute (Ed.), Embodied Time (pp. 163-174). Routledge.
  4. Chen, Z., Steppacher, A., & Streib, H. (2024). Religious or spiritual? Text analysis of free entries in defining religiosity and spirituality. In H. Streib & R. W. Hood (Eds.), Faith in Development: Mixed-method Studies on Worldviews and Religious Styles (pp. 139-154).  Bielefeld University Press.
  5. Chen, Z. J., Steppacher, A., & Streib, H. (2024). Network analysis of case study Petra S.: A mixed-methods approach. In H. Streib & R. Hood (Eds.), Faith in Development: Mixed-method Studies on Worldview and Religious Styles (pp. 155-174). Bielefeld University Press.
  6. Chen, Z. J., Streib, H., & Hood, R. W. (2024). The six aspects of faith development in longitudinal analysis. In H. Streib & R. Hood (Eds.), Faith in Development: Mixed-method Studies on Worldviews and Religious Styles (pp. 117-138). Bielefeld University Press.
  7. Ho, M. Y., Worthington, E., Cowden, R., Ortega Bechara, A., Chen, Z. J., Gunatirin, E. Y., Joynt, S., Khalanskyi, V.V., Korzhov, H., Kurniati, N.M.T., Rodriguez, N., Salnykova, A., Shtanko, L., Tymchenko, S., Voytenko, V.L., Zulkaida, A., Mathur, M. and VanderWeele, T.J. (2024). International REACH Forgiveness Intervention: A multi-site randomised controlled trial. BMJ Public Health, 2:e000072.
  8. Magennis, L. M., Chen, Z. J., & Vass, B. (2024). NC MedAssist: Dispensing hope throughout North Carolina. North Carolina Medical Journal, 85(1), 91431.
  9. Nute, K., & Chen, Z. J. (2024). Wind-generated movement as a means to presence in indoor environments. In K. Nute (Ed.), Embodied Time (pp. 153-162). Routledge.
  10. Ortega Bechara, A., Chen*, Z. J., Cowden, R., Worthington, E., Toussaint, L., Rodriguez, N., Guzman, H., Ho, M., Mathur, M., & VanderWeele, T. (2024). Do forgiveness campaign activities improve forgiveness, mental health, and flourishing? International Journal of Public Health, 69:1605341.
  11. Palitsky, R., Chen, Z. J., Rentscher, K. E., Friedman, S., Wilson, D., Ruiz, J., Sullivan, D., Grant, G., O’Connor, M.-F. (2024). Associations of religious and existential variables with psychosocial factors and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in bereavement. Aging Cell, 23(1), e14014.
  12. Streib, H. & Chen, Z. J. (2024). Predicting deconversion: Concurrent and cross-time correlations in three samples. In H. Streib & R. Hood (eds.), Faith in Development: Mixed-method Studies on Worldview and Religious Styles (pp. 175-192). Bielefeld University Press.
  13. Weziak-Bialowolska, D., Cowden, R. G., Bialowolski, P., Ortega Bechara, A., Chen, Z. J., Cook, K., Kurniati, N., Suwartono, C., Widyarini, N., McNeely, E., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2024). Associations of orientation to promote good in challenging situations with distress and well-being: Multi-study evidence from three non-western longitudinal samples. European Journal of Social Psychology, 54(2), 449-464.
2023
  1. Chen, Z. J., Cowden, R., & Streib, H. (2023). More spiritual than religious: concurrent and longitudinal relations with personality traits, mysticism, and other characteristics. Frontiers in Psychology, 13:1025938.
  2. Chen, Z. J., Guo, S., & Cowden, R. (2023). Enriching the common core of mystical experience: A qualitative analysis of interviews with Daoist monks and nuns. International Journal of Psychology of Religion, 33(4), 397-414.
  3. Chen, Z. J. & Nute, K. (2023). Architecture, time, and well-being: Toward transcendence. In Counted, V. & Cowden, R. (Eds.), Place, spirituality, and health: A multidisciplinary approach (pp. 105-118). Springer.
  4. Cowden, R., Chen*, Z. J., Ortega Bechara, A., & Worthington, E. L. (2023). Associations of dispositional forgivingness with facets of well-being among Colombian adults: A longitudinal outcome-wide study. International Journal of Psychology, 58(2), 153-163.
  5. Coyle, S., Rueger, S. Y., Chen, Z. J., Case, S., Chen, P., & Eveleigh, E. (2023). Support from mothers and fathers on academic functioning: More similarities than differences across socioeconomic groups. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32, 1946-1961.
  6. Davis, E. B., Barneche, K., Aten, J. D., Shannonhouse, L. R., Wang, D. C., Van Tongeren, D. R., Davis, D. E., Hook, J. N., Chen, Z. J., Lefevor, G. T., McElroy-Heltzel, S. E., Elick, E. L., Van Grinsven, L., Lacey, E. K., Brandys, T. R., Sarpong, P. K., Osteen, S. A., & Shepardson, K. (2023). The multilevel correlates, contributions, and consequences of leader humility in humanitarian aid work. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, e1188109. 
  7. Lemke, A. W., Davis, E., Voytenko, V., Cowden, R., Chen, Z. J., McConnell, J., Pargament, K., Phillips, K., Marseilles, R., Wolff, R. (2023). Religious/spiritual struggles and suicidality among adult psychiatric outpatients: A 12-month longitudinal study. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 14, 100640.
  8. Rueger, S. Worthington, E., Davis, E., Chen, Z. J., Cowden, R. G., Moloney, J., Eveleigh, E., Stone, L., Lemke, W., & Glowiak, K. (2023). Development and initial validation of the Persevering Hope Scale: Measuring wait-power in four independent samples. Journal of Personality Assessment, 105(1), 58-73.
  9. Streib, H., Chen, Z. J.*, & Hood, R. W. (2023). Faith development as change in religious types: Results from three-wave longitudinal data with Faith Development Interviews. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 15(2), 298–307.
  10. Cowden, R., Chen, Z. J., Fancourt, D., & Shiba, K. (2023). Can prayer during COVID-19 home confinement support psychological health after lockdowns end? A longitudinal study of UK adults. In Counted, V. & Cowden, R. (Eds.), Place, spirituality, and health: A multidisciplinary approach (pp. 143-162). Springer.
  11. Worthington, E. L., Jr., Ripley, J. S., Chen, Z. J., Kent, V., & Loewer, V. (2023). Spiritually integrated couple therapy. In Richards, P. S., Allen, K., & Judd, D. K. (Eds.), Handbook of spiritually integrated psychotherapies (pp. 347-363). American Psychological Association.
2022
  1. Chen, Z. J., Ortega Bechara, A., Cowden, R., & Worthington, E. (2022). Perceived posttraumatic growth after interpersonal trauma and subsequent well-being among young Colombian adults: A longitudinal analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13:993609.
  2. Chen, Z. J., Ma, Z., Ghorbani, N., Khan, Z., & Tekke, M. (2022). Measuring Muslim religiosity and spirituality: Measurement invariance of Muslim Attitudes toward Religion and Muslim Experiential Religiousness scales across China, Iran, Malaysia and Pakistan. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 14(4), 503-511.
  3. Cowden, R. G., Chen, Z. J., Capturi, L., De Kock, J. H, & Houghtaling, A. (2022). Effectiveness of an intensive experiential group therapy program in promoting mental health and well-being among mass shooting survivors: A practice-based longitudinal study. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 53(2), 181-191.
  4. Cowden, R., Nakamura, J., Chen, Z. J., Case, B., Kim, E., & VanderWeele, T. (2022). Identifying pathways to religious service attendance: A lagged exposure-wide analysis in a sample of older U.S. adults. PLOS ONE, 17(11): e0278178.
  5. Cowden, R. G., Pargament, K. I., Chen, Z. J., Davis, E. B., Leke, A. W., Glowiak, K. J., Rueger, S. Y., & Worthington, Jr., E. L. (2022). Religious/spiritual struggles and psychological distress: A test of three models in a longitudinal study of adults with chronic health conditions. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 78(4), 544-558.
  6. Ho, S., Cook, K., Chen, Z. J.*, Kurniati, T., Suwartono, C., Wardini, N., Wong, P., & Cowden, R. G. (2022). Suffering, psychological distress, and well-being in Indonesia: A prospective cohort study. Stress and Health, 38(5), 879-890.
  7. Parajuli, J., Chen, Z. J., Walsh, A., Williams, G., Sun, V., & Bakitas, M. (2022). Knowledge, beliefs, and misconceptions about PC among older adults with cancer. Journal of Geriatric Oncology.
  8. Ripley, J. S., Worthington, E. L., Kent, V., Loewer, E., & Chen, Z. J. (2022). Spiritually incorporating couple therapy in practice: Christian-accommodated couple therapy as an illustration. Psychotherapy, 59(3), 382–391.
2021
  1. Chen, Z. J. (2021). The empirical study of the psychology of religion and spirituality in Japan, by M. Takahashi [Book Review]. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 31(4), 313-315.
  2. Chen, Z. J., Ortega Bechara, A., Worthington, E. L., Davis, E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2021). Trauma and well-being in Colombian disaster contexts: Effects of religious coping, forgivingness, and hope. Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(1), 82-93.
  3. Chen, Z. J. & Patel, J. (2021). Spiritual experiences in soulmate relationships: Qualitative and network analysis of the mystical bond. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 31(3), 176-188.
  4. Chen, Z. J., Tekke, M., Mastor, K., & Kayadibi, S. (2021). Muslim Verbal and Active Prayer (MVAP): Measurement and psychological functioning of supplications in Islam. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 31(4), 249-259.
  5. Ghorbani, N., Chen, Z. J.*, Gharaffi, F., Watson, P. J., & Liu, G. (2021). Recollections of childhood sex abuse: Religious coping and Muslim religious and psychological adjustment in Afghanistan. Journal of Religion and Health, 60(6), 4209-4226. (Equal contribution with the first author)
  6. Nute, K. & Chen, Z. J. (2021). Looking forward to the future: Visual prospects and optimism. International Journal of Health, Wellness and Society, 12(1), 1-12.
  7. Ortega Bechara, A., Chen, Z. J.*, Cowden, R., Worthington, E. L., Tedeschi, R., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2021). Adapting positively to trauma: Associations of posttraumatic growth, wisdom, and virtues in survivors of civil war. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 30(10), 1292-1306.
  8. Osei-Tutu, A., Worthington, E. L., Chen, Z. J., McElroy-Heltzel, S., Davis, D., & Washington-Nortey, M. (2021). Religious homogamy affects the connections of personality and marriage qualities to unforgiving motives: Implications for couple therapy. Religions, 12, 917.
  9. Streib, H. & Chen, Z. J. (2021). Evidence for the brief Mysticism Scale: Psychometric properties, moderation and mediation effects in predicting spiritual self-identification. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 31(3), 165-175.
  10. Worthington, E., Cairo, A., Chen, Z. J., & Hicks, C. L. (2021). Changes after an educational intervention to teach about and promote forgiveness among seminarians and practicing clergy. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 49(2), 93-111
  11. Zhang, Y., Chen, Z. J.*, Lu, S., & Ni, S. (2021). Are mindful people more risk-averse? Effects of trait and state mindfulness on risk preference in decision-making. International Journal of Psychology, 56(3), 407-414. (Equal contribution with the first author)
2020
  1. Li, N., Zhang, L., Xiao, G., Chen, Z. J., & Lu, Q. (2020). Effects of organizational commitment, job satisfaction and workplace violence on turnover intention of emergency nurses: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 26(6), e12854.
  2. Nute, K. & Chen, Z. J. (2020). Wind-generated movement as a potential means to psychological presence in indoor work environments. The International Journal of Design in Society, 14(2), 31-38.
  3. Osei-Tutu, A., Osafo, J., Anum, A., Appiah-Danquah, R., Worthington, E. L., Chen, Z.  J.*, Cowden, R. G., & Nonterah, C. (2020). Is cultural adaptation needed beyond using Christian-accommodated REACH forgiveness psychoeducational group intervention in Ghana? An efficacy study comparing a Christian-accommodated version against a version accommodated by Christian and cultural adaptations. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 7(2), 73–88.
  4. Streib, H., Chen, Z. J.*, & Hood, R. W. (2020). Categorizing people’s religious identity: Four types derived from religious style assignments in Faith Development Interviews. The International Journal of Psychology of Religion, 30(2), 112-127.
  5. Tekke, M., Watson, P. J., Kayadibi, S., & Chen, Z. J. (2020). Amanah and Muslim Identity: Relationships with religious and psychological adjustment in Malaysia. Journal of Religion and Health, 59(2), 891-904.
  6. Zhang, Y., Chen, Z. J.*, Ni, S. (2020). The security of being grateful: Gratitude promotes risk-aversion in decision making. Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(3), 285-291.
2019
  1. Biderman, M., McAbee, S., Hendy, N. T., & Chen, Z. J. (2019). Validity of evaluative factors from Big Five and HEXACO questionnaires. Journal of Research in Personality, 80, 84-96.
  2. Dokoushkani, F. Juhari, B., Abdollahi, A., Motevaliyan, S., Villanueva, R., Chen, Z. J.* (2019). Development and Validation of the Acculturative Stress among Iranian Diaspora Scale. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 13(1), 65-79.
  3. Ghorbani, N., Chen, Z. J.*, Rabiee, F., & Watson, P. J. (2019). Religious fundamentalism in Iran: Religious and psychological adjustment within a Muslim cultural context. Archive for Psychology of Religion, 41(2), 73-88.
  4. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Ebrahimi, F., & Chen, Z. J. (2019). Poets and Transliminality: Relationships with mystical experience and religious commitment in Iran. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 11(2), 141-147.
  5. Montero-Marin, J., Kuyken, W., Crane, C., Gu, J., Baer, R., Al-Awamleh, A., Akutsu, S., Araya-Véliz, C., Ghorbani, N., Chen, Z. J., Kim, M-S., Mantzios, M., dos Santos,  Lopez, L., Teleb, A., Watson, P. J., Yamaguchi, A., Yang, E., & Garcia-Campayo, J. (2019). Self-compassion and cultural values: A cross-cultural study of self-compassion using a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analytical procedure. Frontiers in Psychology.
  6. Pang, D., Qian, L., Chen, Z. J., Lu, Q., Heitkemper, M., Yang, P., Jin, S. (2019). Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 42, 7-13.
  7. Villanueva, R. & Chen, Z. J.* (2019). ggplot2:  Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis (2nd Edition). Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives, 17(3), 160-167.
  8. Watson, P. J., Reagan, B. S., Chen, Z. J., & Morris, R. (2019). Xenophilia and the religious openness hypothesis: Love of the “stranger” within religious fundamentalist and biblical foundationalist ideological surrounds. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 47(4), 243-258.
  9. Wiese, C., Chen, Z., Tay, L., Friedman, E., & Rector, J. (2019). The role of affect on physical health over time: A cross-lagged panel analysis over 20 years. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 11(2), 202-222.
  10. Williamson, W. P., Hood, R. W., & Chen, Z. J.* (2019). The God Mysticism Scale: A brief version. Journal of Pastoral Psychology, 68(3), 345-356.
2018
  1. Biderman, M., McAbee, S., Chen, Z. J., & Hendy, N. (2018). Assessing the evaluative content of personality questionnaires using bifactor models. Journal of Personality Assessment, 100(4), 375-388.
  2. Chen, Z. J., Saucier, G., Hsu, G-Y., Zhou, X. (2018). Chinese isms dimensions in mainland China and Taiwan: Convergence and extension of American isms dimensions. Journal of Personality, 86(3), 555-571.
  3. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Gharibi, H., & Chen, Z. J. (2018). Model of Muslim religious spirituality: Impact of Muslim experiential religiousness on religious orientations and psychological adjustment among Iranian Muslims. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 40, 117-140.
  4. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Sarmast, Z., & Chen, Z. J. (2018). Post-critical beliefs and religious reflection: Religious openness hypothesis in Iranian university and Islamic seminary students. Journal of Empirical Theology, 31, 49-70.
  5. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Tavakoli, F., & Chen, Z. J. (2018). Mindfulness within a Muslim ideological surround: Empirical translation schemes and religious and psychological functioning of Islamic seminarians in Iran. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 29, 305-328.
  6. Kamble, S., Watson, P. J., Duggi, D. B., & Chen, Z. J. (2018). Fundamentalism within an Indian ideological surround: Commitment to religious tradition predict Hindu openness. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 29, 329-351.
  7. Kahn, Z. H., Watson, P. J., Ali, H. N., & Chen, Z. J. (2018). Greater Jihad of society and self: Religious and psychological implications in Pakistani madrassa and university students. The International Journal of the Psychology of Religion, 28(4), 271-280.
  8. Khan, Z., Watson, P. J., & Chen, Z. (2018). Religious reflection in Pakistan: Further evidence of integration between Muslim faith and intellect. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 39(3), 258-262.
  9. Nute, K. & Chen, Z. (2018). Temporal cues in indoor environments. The International Journal of the Constructed Environment, 9(1), 1-18. Winner of the 2018 Constructed Environment International Award for Excellence
  10. Stephenson, E., Watson, P. J., Chen, Z., & Morris, R. J. (2018). Self-compassion, self-esteem, and irrational beliefs. Current Psychology, 37(4), 809-815.
  11. Watson, P. J., Chen, Z. J., & Morris, R. J. (2018). Sanctification of learning and religious openness: Contrasts across religious fundamentalist and Biblical foundationalist ideological surrounds. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 29, 352-376.
  12. Watson, P. J., Chen, Z. J., Morris, R. J., & Ghorbani, N. (2018). Religion within a dark triad ideological surround: Pluralistic self as dialogue across private, communal, and public space. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 29, 377-400.
2017
  1. Andrews, B., Watson, P. J., Chen, Z., & Morris, R. J. (2017). Postmodernism, positive psychology, and posttraumatic growth within a Christian Ideological Surround. Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(5), 489-500.
  2. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Karimpour, M., & Chen, Z. (2017). Muslim work ethics: Relationships with religious orientations and the “Perfect Man” (Ensān-e Kāmel) in managers and staff in Iran. Religions, 8, 138, doi:10.3390/rel8080138.
  3. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Kashanaki, H., & Chen, Z. (2017). Diversity and complexity of religion and spirituality in Iran: Relationships with self-compassion and self-forgiveness. International Journal of Psychology of Religion, 27(4), 157-171.
  4. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Rasoliha, Z. H., & Chen, Z. (2017). Religious and psychological implications of positive and negative religious coping in Iran. Journal of Religion and Health, 56, 477-492.
  5. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Zarei, A., & Chen, Z. (2017). Muslim attitudes and spirituality: Relationships with Dark Triad and harmony control in Iranian teachers. Mental Health, Culture, and Religion, 20(1), 20-30.
  6. Watson, P. J., Chen, Z. J., Morris, R., & Ghorbani, N. (2017). Religious problem-solving styles within an American religious ideological surround. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 28, 22-51.
  7. Zhang, Y., Chen, Z. J.*, & Li, H. (2017). Toward a model of risky decisions: Synergistic effect of affect intensity and affective processing on risk-seeking as a function of the decision domain. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 73, 235-242. (Equal contribution with the first author)
2016
  1. Aghababaei, N., Sohrabi, F., Eskandari, H., Borjali, A., Farrokhi, N., & Chen, Z. (2016). Predicting subjective well-being by religious and scientific attitudes with hope, purpose in life and death anxiety as mediators. Personality and Individual Differences, 90, 93-98.
  2. Chen, Z., Watson, P. J., Biderman, M. D., & Ghorbani, N. (2015). Investigating the properties of the general factor (M) in bifactor models applied to Big Five or HEXACO data in terms of method or meaning. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 35(3), 216-243.
  3. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Amirbeigi, M., & Chen, Z. (2016). Religious schema within a Muslim ideological surround: Religious and psychological adjustment in Iran. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 38, 253-277.
  4. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Hajrasouliha, Z., & Chen, Z. (2016). Muslim distress mobilization hypothesis: Islamic positive religious coping and punishing Allah reappraisal in Iran. Mental Health, Culture, and Religion, 19(6), 626-638.
  5. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Madani, M., & Chen, Z. (2016). Muslim Experiential Religiousness: Spirituality relationships with psychological and religious adjustment of Iran. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health,18(4), 300-315.
  6. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Omidbagi, M., & Chen, Z. (2016). Muslim attachments to God and the “Perfect Man” (Ensān-e Kāmel): Relationships with religious orientation and psychological adjustment in Iran. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 8(4), 318-329.
  7. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Tavakoli, F., & Chen, Z. (2016). Self-control within a Muslim ideological surround: Empirical translation schemes and the adjustment of Islamic seminarians in Iran. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 27, 68-93.
  8. Khan, Z., Watson, P., & Chen, Z. (2016). Muslim spirituality, religious coping, and reactions to terrorism among Pakistani university students. Journal of Religion and Health, 55(6), 2086-2098.
  9. Zhang, Y., Chen, Z., Luan, M., & Li, H. (2016). Affect Intensity and risk preference in life-saving decisions. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 38(2), 89-97.
2015
  1. Garcia, G. M., Watson, P. J., Cunningham, C., O’Leary, B., & Chen, Z. (2015). Narcissism and anger: Self-esteem and contingencies of self-worth as mediating self-structures. Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships, 9(1), 59-71.
  2. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Fayaz, F., Chen, Z. (2015). Integrative self-knowledge and marital satisfaction. Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 149(1), 1-18.
  3. Khan, Z., Watson, P. J., Naqvi, A., Jahan, K., Chen, Z. (2015). Muslim experiential religiousness in Pakistan: Meaning in life, general well-being and gender differences. Mental Health, Religion, & Culture, 18(6), 482-491.
  4. Khan, Z., Watson, P. J., & Chen, Z. (2015). Meaning of animal sacrifice during Eid-ul-Adha: Relationships with religious and psychological adjustment in Pakistan. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 37, 37-53.
  5. Saucier, G., Kenner, J., Iurino, K., Bou Malham, P., Chen, Z., Thalmayer, A. G., Kemmelmeier, M., Tov, W., Boutti, R., Metaferia, H., Çankaya, B., Mastor, K. A., Hsu, K.-Y., Wu, R., Maniruzzaman, M., Rugira, J., Tsaousis, I., Sosnyuk, O., Regmi Adhikary, J., Skrzypińska, K., Poungpet, B., Maltby, J., Salanga, M. G. C., Racca, A., Oshio, A., Italia, E., Kovaleva, A., Nakatsugawa, M., Morales-Vives, F., Ruiz, V. M., Braun Gutierrez, R. A., Sarkar, A., Deo, T., Sambu, L., Huisa Veria, E., Ferreira Dela Coleta, M., Kiama, S. G., Hongladoram, S., Derry, R., Zazueta Beltrán, H., Peng, T. K., Wilde, M., Ananda, A., Banerjee, S., Bayazit, M., Joo, S., Zhang, H., Orel, E., Bizumic, B., Shen-Miller, S., Watts, S., Pereira, M. E., Gore, E., Wilson, D., Pope, D., Gutema, B., Henry, H., Dacanay, J. C., Dixon, J., Köbis, N., Luque, J., Hood, J., Chakravorty, D., Pal, A. M., Ong, L., Leung, A., & Altschul, C. (2015). Cross-cultural differences in a global ‘Survey of World Views’. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 46, 53-70.
  6. Tekke, M., Watson, P. J., İsmail, N. A., & Chen, Z. (2015). Muslim religious openness and Ilm: Relationships with Islamic religious reflection, religious schema, and religious commitments in Malaysia. Archive for Psychology of Religion, 37, 295-320.
  7. Watson, P. J., Chen, Z., Ghorbani, N., & Vartanian, M. (2015). Religious Openness Hypothesis: I. Religious reflection, schemas, and orientations within religious fundamentalist and Biblical foundationalist ideological surrounds. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 34(2), 99-113.
  8. Watson, P. J., Chen, Z, Morris, R., & Stephenson, E. (2015). Religious Openness Hypothesis: III. Defense against secularism within fundamentalist and Biblical foundationalist ideological surrounds. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 34(2), 125-140.
  9. Watson, P. J., Ghorbani, N., Vartanian, M., & Chen, Z. (2015). Religious Openness Hypothesis: II. Religious reflection, mystical experience, and religious orientations of Christians in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 34(2), 114-124.
2014
  1. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Aghababaei, N., Chen, Z. (2014). Transliminality and mystical experience: Common Thread Hypothesis, religious commitment, and psychological adjustment in Iran. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 6(4), 268-275.
  2. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Farhadi, M., Chen, Z. (2014). A multi-process model of self-regulation: Influences of mindfulness, integrative self-knowledge, and self-control in Iran. International Journal of Psychology, 49(2), 115-122.
  3. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Ghranmayepour, S., Chen, Z. (2014). Measuring Muslim spirituality: Relationships of Muslim experiential religiousness with religious and psychological adjustment in Iran. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 8(1), 77-94.
  4. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Ghranmayepour, S., Chen, Z. (2014). Muslim Experiential Religiousness: Relationships with attitude toward Islam, religious reflection, and basic needs satisfaction in Iranians. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, 25, 53-72.
  5. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Lotfi, S., Chen, Z. (2014). Moral affects, empathy, and integrative self-knowledge in Iran. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 34(1), 39-56.
  6. Hood, R. W., Jr. & Chen, Z. (2014). Conversion and deconversion. In S. Bullivant & M. Ruse (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Atheism, pp. 537-552. Oxford University Press.
  7. Kamble, S. V., Watson, P. J., Marigoudar, S., & Chen, Z. (2014). Attitude toward Hinduism, religious orientations, and psychological adjustment in India. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 17(2), 161-172.
  8. Kamble, S. V., Watson, P. J., Marigoudar S., & Chen, Z. (2014). Varieties of openness and religious commitment in India: Relationships of attitudes toward Hinduism, Hindu religious reflection, and religious schema. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 36(2), 172-198.
  9. Khan, Z., Zia, A., Watson, P. J.,Nielsen, M., Johnson, K., & Chen, Z. (2014). Stress and psychological and social resources for coping in informal family caregivers of cancer patients in Pakistan. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 16(11), 1070-1075.
  10. Watson, P. J., Chen, Z. & Ghorbani, N. (2014). Extrinsic Cultural Religious Orientation: Analysis of Iranian measures in the United States. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 35(1), 61-78.
  11. Watson, P. J., Chen, Z., & Morris, R. (2014). Varieties of quest and the Religious Openness Hypothesis within religious fundamentalist and biblical foundationalist ideological surrounds. Religions, 5, 1-20.
2013
  1. Chen, Z, Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., & Aghababaei, N. (2013). Muslim Experiential Religiousness and Muslim Attitudes toward Religion: Dissociation of experiential and attitudinal aspects of religiosity in Iran. Studia Religiologica, 46(1), 41-50.
  2. Ghorbani, N., Chen, Z., Saeedi, Z., Behjati, Z., & Watson, P. J. (2013). Sakhtar ameli megyas shafeghat khod dar Iran (Factorial structure of self-compassion scale in Iran). Fasl name pajohesh haie karbordi, 4(3), 29-41 (In Persian).
  3. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Chen, Z., & Dover, H. (2013). Varieties of openness in Tehran and Qom: Psychological and religious parallels of faith and intellect oriented Islamic religious reflection. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 16(2), 123-137.
  4. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Geranmayepour, S., & Chen, Z. (2013). Analyzing the spirituality of Muslim experiential religiousness: Relationships with psychological measures of Islamic religiousness in Iran. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 35, 233-258.
  5. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Lotfi, S., Chen, Z. (2013). Shame and Guilt: Relationships of test of self-conscious affect measures with psychological adjustment and gender differences in Iran. Interpersona, 7(1), 97-109.
  6. Hood, R. W., Jr. & Chen, Z. (2013). Mystical, spiritual, and religious experiences. In R. Paloutzian and C. Park (Eds.), Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (2e), (pp. 422-440). Guilford.
  7. Khan, Z., Watson, P., & Chen, Z. (2013). Smoking, Muslim religious commitments, and the experience and behavior of Ramadan in Pakistani men. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 16(7), 663-670.
2012
  1. Chen, Z., Zhang, Y., Hood, R. W., Jr., & Watson, P. (2012). Mysticism in Chinese Christians and non-Christians: Measurement invariance of the Mysticism Scale and implications for the mean differences. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 22, 155-168.
  2. Ghorbani, N. Tahbaza, S., Watson, P. J., & Chen, Z. (2012). Anger, defense mechanisms, and integrative self-knowledge in Iranian coronary heart disease and cancer patients. In J. Turner and A. Mitchell (Eds.), Social psychology: New developments, pp. 75-88. New York: Nova Publisher.
  3. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Chen, Z., & Nourballa, F. (2012). Self-Compassion among Iranian Muslims: Relationships with integrative self-knowledge, religious orientation, and mental health. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 22, 106-118.
  4. Ghorbani, N., Watson, P. J., Saeedi, Z., Chen, Z., & Silver, C. (2012). Religious problem-solving and the complexity of religious rationality within an Iranian Muslim ideological surround. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 51(4), 656-675.
  5. Hood, R. W., Jr. & Chen, Z. (2012). Social scientific study of Christian mysticism. In J. Lamm (Ed.), Blackwell Companion to Christian Mysticism (pp. 557-591). John Wiley & Sons.
  6. Khan, Z., Watson, P., & Chen, Z. (2012). Islamic religious coping, perceived stress, and mental well-being in Pakistanis. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 34(2), 137-147.
  7. Khan, Z., Watson, P., Chen, Z., Iftikhar, A., & Jabeen, R. (2012). Pakistani religious coping and the experience and behavior of Ramadan. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 15(4), 435-446.
2011
  1. Chen, Z., Qi, W., Hood, R. W., Jr. & Watson, P. J. (2011). Common Core Thesis and qualitative and quantitative study of Chinese Buddhist monks and nuns. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 50(4), 654-670.
  2. Chen, Z., Yang, L., Hood, R. W., Jr., & Watson, P. J. (2011). Mystical experience in Tibetan Buddhists: Common core thesis revisited. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 50(2), 328-338.
  3. Ghorbani, N., Mousavi, A., Watson, P. J., & Chen, Z. (2011). Integrative self-knowledge and the harmony of purpose model in Iranian autoimmune patients. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, 7(2), 1-8.
  4. Khan, Z., Watson, P., & Chen, Z. (2011). Differentiating religious coping from Islamic identification in patient and non-patient Pakistani Muslims. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 14(10), 1049-1062.
  5. Watson, P., Chen, Z. & Hood, R. W. (2011). Biblical foundationalism and religious reflection: Polarization of faith- and intellect-oriented epistemologies within a Christian ideological surround. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 39(2), 111-121.
  6. Watson, P., Chen, Z. & Sisemore T. (2011). Grace and Christian psychology – Part 2: Psychometric refinements and relationships with self-compassion, depression, beliefs about sin, and religious orientation. Edification: The Transdisciplinary Journal of Christian Psychology, 4(2), 64-72.

Courses Taught

At UNC Charlotte
  • NURS6090   Research Ethics
  • NUDN8641   Project Development I
  • NUDN8642   Project Development II
  • NUDN8147   Applied Biostatistics
  • NUDN8145   Leadership & Project Planning
  • NUDN8202   Community Epidemiology
At previous institutions
  • Personality (Clemson)
  • Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (Clemson)
  • Measurement and Psychological Testing [Data Visualization with ggplot2] (Tennessee and Clemson)
  • Research Design and Quantitative and Qualitative Methods (Clemson)
  • Structural Equation Modeling [with lavaan & Mplus] (Clemson)
  • Statistics [Psychology and Math] (Tennessee, Oregon, and Clemson)
  • Introduction to Psychology (Tennessee)