Music as a sacred cue? Effects of religious music on moral behavior

@article{1345391,
   author = {Lang, Martin and Mitkidis, Panagiotis and Kundt, Radek and Nichols, Aaron and Krajčíková, Lenka and Xygalatas, Dimitrios},
   article_location = {Lausanne},
   article_number = {814},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00814},
   keywords = {religion; music; associative learning; morality; priming},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1664-1078},
   journal = {Frontiers in Psychology},
   title = {Music as a sacred cue? Effects of religious music on moral behavior},
   url = {http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00814/full},
   volume = {7},
   year = {2016}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1345391
AU  - Lang, Martin - Mitkidis, Panagiotis - Kundt, Radek - Nichols, Aaron - Krajčíková, Lenka - Xygalatas, Dimitrios
PY  - 2016
TI  - Music as a sacred cue? Effects of religious music on moral behavior
JF  - Frontiers in Psychology
VL  - 7
IS  - 814
SP  - 1-13
EP  - 1-13
PB  - Frontiers Research Foundation
SN  - 16641078
KW  - religion
KW  - music
KW  - associative learning
KW  - morality
KW  - priming
UR  - http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00814/full
N2  - Religion can have an important influence in moral decision-making, and religious reminders may deter people from unethical behavior. Previous research indicated that religious contexts may increase prosocial behavior and reduce cheating. However, the perceptual-behavioral link between religious contexts and decision-making lacks thorough scientific understanding. This study adds to the current literature by testing the effects of purely audial religious symbols (instrumental music) on moral behavior across three different sites: Mauritius, the Czech Republic, and the USA. Participants were exposed to one of three kinds of auditory stimuli (religious, secular, or white noise), and subsequently were given a chance to dishonestly report on solved mathematical equations in order to increase their monetary reward. The results showed cross-cultural differences in the effects of religious music on moral behavior, as well as a significant interaction between condition and religiosity across all sites, suggesting that religious participants were more influenced by the auditory religious stimuli than non-religious participants. We propose that religious music can function as a subtle cue associated with moral standards via cultural socialization and ritual participation. Such associative learning can charge music with specific meanings and create sacred cues that influence normative behavior. Our findings provide preliminary support for this view, which we hope further research will investigate more closely.
ER  - 

LANG, Martin, Panagiotis MITKIDIS, Radek KUNDT, Aaron NICHOLS, Lenka KRAJČÍKOVÁ a Dimitrios XYGALATAS. Music as a sacred cue? Effects of religious music on moral behavior. \textit{Frontiers in Psychology}. Lausanne: Frontiers Research Foundation, roč.~7, č.~814, s.~1-13. ISSN~1664-1078. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00814. 2016.