It's well known that religious faith can help believers cope with stress and anxiety, by providing them with a sense of meaning and control at times of uncertainty.

It now seems that a "belief" in science and a rationalistic outlook might do the same for the non-religious.

A team of psychologists led by Miguel Farias at the University of Oxford asked 52 rowers to fill in a "belief in science" questionnaire just before taking part in a competitive regatta.

They gave the same test -- in which participants had to score statements

The questionnaire also assessed self-reported stress levels and degree of religious belief.

Farias and colleagues discovered that those about to race were both more stressed, and rated their belief in science 14 per cent higher than those who were simply training.

such as "science is the most valuable part of human culture" to a similar number of rowers at a training session.

The findings reflect a growing body of psychological evidence that people find comfort in times of threat by moving closer to certain aspects of their world view conservatives become more conservative, for example, liberals more liberal, religious believers more devout.

The researchers have begun a similar study using scientists who are religious to see how the two belief systems interact in response to stress. Thank you.

"Any kind of belief system helps you structure your perception of reality," he says. "It allows you to think of the universe in a particular meaningful way."

Farias speculates that a rationalist outlook would provide similar relief.