The Boundaries of Trust : Cross-Religious and Cross-Ethnic
Field Experiments in Mauritius

J 2018

The Boundaries of Trust : Cross-Religious and Cross-Ethnic Field Experiments in Mauritius

SHAVER, John Hayward, Martin LANG, Jan KRÁTKÝ, Eva KUNDTOVÁ KLOCOVÁ, Radek KUNDT et. al.

Basic information

Original name

The Boundaries of Trust : Cross-Religious and Cross-Ethnic Field Experiments in Mauritius

Authors

SHAVER, John Hayward (840 United States of America), Martin LANG (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Jan KRÁTKÝ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Eva KUNDTOVÁ KLOCOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Radek KUNDT (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Dimitrios XYGALATAS (300 Greece)

Edition

Evolutionary Psychology, 2018, 1474-7049

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

60304 Religious studies

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 1.823

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/18:00100790

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1474704918817644

UT WoS

000453840000001

Keywords in English

cooperation; ancestry; Mauritius; religion; trust

Abstract

V originále

Several prominent evolutionary theories contend that religion was critical to the emergence of large-scale societies and encourages cooperation in contemporary complex groups. These theories argue that religious systems provide a reliable mechanism for finding trustworthy anonymous individuals under conditions of risk. In support, studies find that people displaying cues of religious identity are more likely to be trusted by anonymous coreligionists. However, recent research has found that displays of religious commitment can increase trust across religious divides. These findings are puzzling from the perspective that religion emerges to regulate coalitions. To date, these issues have not been investigated outside of American undergraduate samples nor have studies considered how religious identities interact with other essential group-membership signals, such as ancestry, to affect intergroup trust. Here, we address these issues and compare religious identity, ancestry, and trust among and between Christians and Hindus living in Mauritius. Ninety-seven participants rated the trustworthiness of faces, and in a modified trust game distributed money among these faces, which varied according to religious and ethnic identity. In contrast to previous research, we find that markers of religious identity increase monetary investments only among in-group members and not across religious divides. Moreover, out-group religious markers on faces of in-group ancestry decrease reported trustworthiness. These findings run counter to recent studies collected in the United States and suggest that local socioecologies influence the rela- tionships between religion and trust. We conclude with suggestions for future research and a discussion of the challenges of conducting field experiments with remote populations.

Links

EE2.3.20.0048, research and development project

Name: Laboratoř pro experimentální výzkum náboženství

GA18-18316S, research and development project

Name: Evoluce rituálního chování jako komunikační technologie

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Citovat

SHAVER, John Hayward, Martin LANG, Jan KRÁTKÝ, Eva KUNDTOVÁ KLOCOVÁ, Radek KUNDT and Dimitrios XYGALATAS. The Boundaries of Trust : Cross-Religious and Cross-Ethnic Field Experiments in Mauritius. Evolutionary Psychology. 2018, vol. 16, No 4, p. 1-15. ISSN 1474-7049. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1474704918817644.

@article{1403558,
   author = {Shaver, John Hayward and Lang, Martin and Krátký, Jan and Kundtová Klocová, Eva and Kundt, Radek and Xygalatas, Dimitrios},
   article_number = {4},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1474704918817644},
   keywords = {cooperation; ancestry; Mauritius; religion; trust},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1474-7049},
   journal = {Evolutionary Psychology},
   title = {The Boundaries of Trust : Cross-Religious and Cross-Ethnic Field Experiments in Mauritius},
   url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1474704918817644},
   volume = {16},
   year = {2018}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1403558
AU  - Shaver, John Hayward - Lang, Martin - Krátký, Jan - Kundtová Klocová, Eva - Kundt, Radek - Xygalatas, Dimitrios
PY  - 2018
TI  - The Boundaries of Trust : Cross-Religious and Cross-Ethnic Field Experiments in Mauritius
JF  - Evolutionary Psychology
VL  - 16
IS  - 4
SP  - 1-15
EP  - 1-15
SN  - 14747049
KW  - cooperation
KW  - ancestry
KW  - Mauritius
KW  - religion
KW  - trust
UR  - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1474704918817644
L2  - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1474704918817644
N2  - Several prominent evolutionary theories contend that religion was critical to the emergence of large-scale societies and encourages cooperation in contemporary complex groups. These theories argue that religious systems provide a reliable mechanism for finding trustworthy anonymous individuals under conditions of risk. In support, studies find that people displaying cues of religious identity are more likely to be trusted by anonymous coreligionists. However, recent research has found that displays of religious commitment can increase trust across religious divides. These findings are puzzling from the perspective that religion emerges to regulate coalitions. To date, these issues have not been investigated outside of American undergraduate samples nor have studies considered how religious identities interact with other essential group-membership signals, such as ancestry, to affect intergroup trust. Here, we address these issues and compare religious identity, ancestry, and trust among and between Christians and Hindus living in Mauritius. Ninety-seven participants rated the trustworthiness of faces, and in a modified trust game distributed money among these faces, which varied according to religious and ethnic identity. In contrast to previous research, we find that markers of religious identity increase monetary investments only among in-group members and not across religious divides. Moreover, out-group religious markers on faces of in-group ancestry decrease reported trustworthiness. These findings run counter to recent studies collected in the United States and suggest that local socioecologies influence the rela- tionships between religion and trust. We conclude with suggestions for future research and a discussion of the challenges of conducting field experiments with remote populations.
ER  -

SHAVER, John Hayward, Martin LANG, Jan KRÁTKÝ, Eva KUNDTOVÁ KLOCOVÁ, Radek KUNDT and Dimitrios XYGALATAS. The Boundaries of Trust : Cross-Religious and Cross-Ethnic Field Experiments in Mauritius. \textit{Evolutionary Psychology}. 2018, vol.~16, No~4, p.~1-15. ISSN~1474-7049. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1474704918817644.

Detailed Information on Publication Record