Ritualized Behavior as a Means to Assuage Anxiety in Uncontrollable Situations

LANG, Martin. Ritualized Behavior as a Means to Assuage Anxiety in Uncontrollable Situations. In Research colloqium, Institute of Social Sciences of Religions, University de Lausanne. 2022.

Basic information

Original name

Ritualized Behavior as a Means to Assuage Anxiety in Uncontrollable Situations

Authors

LANG, Martin

Edition

Research colloqium, Institute of Social Sciences of Religions, University de Lausanne, 2022

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Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Vyžádané přednášky

Field of Study

60304 Religious studies

Country of publisher

Switzerland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords in English

anxiety; ritualized behavior; Mauritius; kavadi; psychophysiology

Tags

International impact

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Abstract

V originále

Rituals can be found in every human society across the world and its history in many different contexts: from complex ceremonies of contemporary religious systems, to sports, pathological gambling, and psychological disorders. One of the potential reasons for the widespread appearance of rituals is their role in decreasing anxiety, which is elicited by uncontrollable threats. Although this hypothesis is more than 100 years old, there is only little experimental research that would support or falsify this theory and investigated potential mechanisms mediating the purported effects of rituals on anxiety. In the current talk, I will present my empirical research disentangling the complex relationship between anxiety and rituals.