Detailed Information on Publication Record

LANG, Martin, Panagiotis MITKIDIS, Radek KUNDT, Aaron NICHOLS, Lenka KRAJČÍKOVÁ and Dimitrios XYGALATAS. Music as a sacred cue? Effects of religious music on moral behavior. Frontiers in Psychology. Lausanne: Frontiers Research Foundation, vol. 7, No 814, p. 1-13. ISSN 1664-1078. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00814. 2016.

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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  -

Basic information
Original name	Music as a sacred cue? Effects of religious music on moral behavior
Authors	LANG, Martin (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Panagiotis MITKIDIS (300 Greece), Radek KUNDT (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Aaron NICHOLS (840 United States of America), Lenka KRAJČÍKOVÁ (703 Slovakia, belonging to the institution) and Dimitrios XYGALATAS (300 Greece, belonging to the institution).
Edition	Frontiers in Psychology, Lausanne, Frontiers Research Foundation, 2016, 1664-1078.

Other information
Original language	English
Type of outcome	Article in a journal
Field of Study	60304 Religious studies
Country of publisher	Switzerland
Confidentiality degree	is not subject to a state or trade secret
WWW	URL
Impact factor	Impact factor: 2.321
RIV identification code	RIV/00216224:14210/16:00089951
Organization unit	Faculty of Arts
Doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00814
UT WoS	000377253700001
Keywords in English	religion; music; associative learning; morality; priming
Tags	rivok
Tags	International impact, Reviewed
Changed by	Changed by: Mgr. Vojtěch Juřík, Ph.D., učo 372092. Changed: 15/2/2020 14:32.

Abstract
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.

Abstract

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.

Links
EE2.3.20.0048, research and development project	Name: Laboratoř pro experimentální výzkum náboženství