The evolutionary paths to collective rituals : An
interdisciplinary perspective on the origins and functions of
the basic social act

J 2019

The evolutionary paths to collective rituals : An interdisciplinary perspective on the origins and functions of the basic social act

LANG, Martin

Basic information

Original name

The evolutionary paths to collective rituals : An interdisciplinary perspective on the origins and functions of the basic social act

Authors

LANG, Martin (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 2019, 0084-6724

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Article in a journal

Field of Study

60304 Religious studies

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

is not subject to a state or trade secret

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 0.517

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/19:00107922

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1177/0084672419894682

UT WoS

000504236800005

EID Scopus

2-s2.0-85077188914

Keywords in English

Collective action problem; collective rituals; evolution; mechanism; religious system; selective pressure

Abstract

In the original language

The present article is an elaborated and upgraded version of the Early Career Award talk that I delivered at the IAPR 2019 conference in Gdańsk, Poland. In line with the conference’s thematic focus on new trends and neglected themes in psychology of religion, I argue that psychology of religion should strive for firmer integration with evolutionary theory and its associated methodological toolkit. Employing evolutionary theory enables to systematize findings from individual psychological studies within a broader framework that could resolve lingering empirical contradictions by providing an ultimate rationale for which results should be expected. The benefits of evolutionary analysis are illustrated through the study of collective rituals and, specifically, their purported function in stabilizing risky collective action. By comparing the socio-ecological pressures faced by chimpanzees, contemporary hunter-gatherers, and early Homo, I outline the selective pressures that may have led to the evolution of collective rituals in the hominin lineage, and, based on these selective pressures, I make predictions regarding the different functions and their underlying mechanisms that collective rituals should possess. While examining these functions, I echo the Early Career Award and focus mostly on my past work and the work of my collaborators, showing that collective rituals may stabilize risky collective action by increasing social bonding, affording to assort cooperative individuals, and providing a platform for reliable communication of commitment to group norms. The article closes with a discussion of the role that belief in superhuman agents plays in stabilizing and enhancing the effects of collective rituals on trust-based cooperation.

Links

GA18-18316S, research and development project

Name: Evoluce rituálního chování jako komunikační technologie

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Cite

LANG, Martin. The evolutionary paths to collective rituals : An interdisciplinary perspective on the origins and functions of the basic social act. Archive for the Psychology of Religion. 2019, vol. 41, No 3, p. 224-252. ISSN 0084-6724. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0084672419894682.

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   keywords = {Collective action problem; collective rituals; evolution; mechanism; religious system; selective pressure},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0084-6724},
   journal = {Archive for the Psychology of Religion},
   title = {The evolutionary paths to collective rituals : An interdisciplinary perspective on the origins and functions of the basic social act},
   url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0084672419894682},
   volume = {41},
   year = {2019}
}

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N2  - The present article is an elaborated and upgraded version of the Early Career Award talk that I delivered at the IAPR 2019 conference in Gdańsk, Poland. In line with the conference’s thematic focus on new trends and neglected themes in psychology of religion, I argue that psychology of religion should strive for firmer integration with evolutionary theory and its associated methodological toolkit. Employing evolutionary theory enables to systematize findings from individual psychological studies within a broader framework that could resolve lingering empirical contradictions by providing an ultimate rationale for which results should be expected. The benefits of evolutionary analysis are illustrated through the study of collective rituals and, specifically, their purported function in stabilizing risky collective action. By comparing the socio-ecological pressures faced by chimpanzees, contemporary hunter-gatherers, and early Homo, I outline the selective pressures that may have led to the evolution of collective rituals in the hominin lineage, and, based on these selective pressures, I make predictions regarding the different functions and their underlying mechanisms that collective rituals should possess. While examining these functions, I echo the Early Career Award and focus mostly on my past work and the work of my collaborators, showing that collective rituals may stabilize risky collective action by increasing social bonding, affording to assort cooperative individuals, and providing a platform for reliable communication of commitment to group norms. The article closes with a discussion of the role that belief in superhuman agents plays in stabilizing and enhancing the effects of collective rituals on trust-based cooperation.
ER  -

LANG, Martin. The evolutionary paths to collective rituals : An interdisciplinary perspective on the origins and functions of the basic social act. \textit{Archive for the Psychology of Religion}. 2019, vol.~41, No~3, p.~224-252. ISSN~0084-6724. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0084672419894682.

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