The origin and evolution of religious prosociality

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Evolutionary Anthropology
• Religious Studies

Background:

• Sociological surveys indicate a correlation between self-reported religiosity and prosocial behavior.
• However, experimental evidence suggests this link is moderated by reputational concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize empirical evidence for the hypothesis that religions promote costly prosocial behaviors.
• To examine the boundary conditions influencing religious prosociality.
• To identify unresolved questions and propose future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of sociological survey data on religiosity and prosociality.
• Experimental studies manipulating religious thoughts and measuring cheating and altruism.
• Cross-cultural analyses examining the relationship between morally concerned deities and group size.

Main Results:

• Experimental induction of religious thoughts decreased cheating and increased altruism among anonymous individuals.
• Profession of religious devotion was associated with increased trust in experimental settings.
• Cross-cultural data suggest a link between the presence of morally concerned deities and larger human group sizes.

Conclusions:

• Empirical evidence supports the concept of religious prosociality, particularly in contexts involving reputational concerns.
• Religious thoughts can promote prosocial behavior even in anonymous, low-reputation settings.
• The findings have implications for understanding the role of religion in human cooperation and sociality across cultures.