RT Article
T1 Big Gods in small places: the Random Allocation Game in Mauritius
JF Religion, brain & behavior
VO 8
IS 2
SP 243
OP 261
A1 Xygalatas, Dimitris
A1 Kotherová, Silvie
A1 Maňo, Peter
A1 Kundt, Radek
A1 Cigán, Jakub
A1 Klocová, Eva Kundtová
A1 Lang, Martin
LA English
PB Routledge
YR 2018
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1837947562
AB The relationship between religion and social behavior has been the subject of longstanding debates. Recent evolutionary models of religious morality propose that particular types of supernatural beliefs related to moralizing and punitive high gods will have observable effects on prosociality. We tested this hypothesis, comparing the effects of diverse religious beliefs, practices, and contexts among Hindus in Mauritius. We found that specific aspects of religious belief (related to moralizing gods) as well as religious practice (participation in high-intensity rituals) were significant predictors of prosocial behavior. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of religious prosociality and have significant implications for the evolution of morality.
K1 Big Gods
K1 Mauritius
K1 experimental anthropology
K1 Morality
K1 random allocation game
K1 Religion
DO 10.1080/2153599X.2016.1267033