Does Goal-Demotion Enhance Cooperation?
In: Journal of Cognition and CultureInteracting Minds Center, Department of Culture and Society University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark Center for Advanced Hindsight Social Science Research Institute, Duke University Durham, NC 27705 USA Interdisciplinary Center for Organizational Architecture, University of Aarhus Aarhus Denmark
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Social scientists have long assumed that religion – and more specifically religious rituals – promotes cooperation. It has also been claimed that ritual plays an essential role in enhancing prosociality and cooperation. In this study, using a controlled laboratory experiment, we investigate if a conspicuous and recurrent feature of collective ritualized behaviour, goal-demotion, promotes lasting cooperation. We report that goal-directed collective behaviour is more efficient than goal-demoted behaviour for motivating participants to engage in ulterior cooperation. Plausible interpretations of the data and of the mechanisms involved are discussed.
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Does Goal-Demotion Enhance Cooperation?
In: Journal of Cognition and CultureInteracting Minds Center, Department of Culture and Society University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark Center for Advanced Hindsight Social Science Research Institute, Duke University Durham, NC 27705 USA Interdisciplinary Center for Organizational Architecture, University of Aarhus Aarhus Denmark
Search for other papers by Panagiotis Mitkidis in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Pierre Lienard in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Kristoffer L. Nielbo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jesper Sørensen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Social scientists have long assumed that religion – and more specifically religious rituals – promotes cooperation. It has also been claimed that ritual plays an essential role in enhancing prosociality and cooperation. In this study, using a controlled laboratory experiment, we investigate if a conspicuous and recurrent feature of collective ritualized behaviour, goal-demotion, promotes lasting cooperation. We report that goal-directed collective behaviour is more efficient than goal-demoted behaviour for motivating participants to engage in ulterior cooperation. Plausible interpretations of the data and of the mechanisms involved are discussed.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 797 | 142 | 10 |
| Full Text Views | 216 | 1 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 76 | 3 | 0 |
