Appealing to the minds of gods: religious beliefs and appeals correspond to features of local social ecologies

Religion, Brain & Behavior • Vol/Iss. 14(2) • Routledge • • Published In • Pages: 183-205 •
By Bendixen, Theiss, Apicella, Coren, Atkinson, Quentin, Cohen, Emma, Henrich, Joseph, McNamara, Rita A., Norenzayan, Ara, Willard, Aiyana K., Xygalatas, Dimitris, Purzycki, Benjamin Grant

Abstract

Using a sample of eight non-Western communities from around the world, this article examines correlations between religious beliefs about the desires of local deities, and strategies employed to facilitate local intra-community cooperation. The authors find that the desires and concerns of local gods tend to encourage what have historically been the most effective modes of intra-group cooperation, while also reinforcing the local cultural milieu.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Evolution of Religion and Morality Project (Purzycki et al. 2022)Other Researchers'Survey data from a total of 547 participants across eight cultures

Hypotheses (1)

HypothesisSupported
Religious beliefs surrounding making appeals to deities tend to reflect the structure of local social ecologies, particularly regarding cooperation and coordination.Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: seb.wanggaouette