Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 13, 2026
08:28
Validated Immunochemical Assay for Comprehensive Determination of the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Released from and Bound to Cells
Published on: May 9, 2025
764
Being human: Religion: bound to believe?
1Department of Psychology, Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, USA. pboyer@wustl.edu
Nature
|October 25, 2008
Summary
Atheism is more challenging to promote than religion. Cognitive traits naturally incline humans toward faith, making religious belief a more common default.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Anthropology of Religion
Background:
- Understanding the cognitive underpinnings of religious belief is crucial for explaining its prevalence across human societies.
- Pascal Boyer's work explores the evolutionary basis of human cognition and its impact on cultural phenomena like religion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cognitive mechanisms that facilitate religious belief.
- To explain why atheism presents a greater cognitive challenge than religious belief.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cognitive traits and their evolutionary origins.
- Examination of psychological predispositions toward supernatural concepts.
Main Results:
- A variety of cognitive traits naturally predispose individuals toward accepting religious concepts.
- These cognitive biases make the adoption of faith a more intuitive process than the adoption of atheism.
Conclusions:
- The prevalence of religion is partly explained by inherent human cognitive architecture.
- Atheism requires overcoming these natural cognitive inclinations, making it a more difficult "sell".
Related Concept Videos
01:24Biodiversity and Human Values
17.2K
Human civilization relies on biodiversity in many ways. Sudden changes in species biodiversity result in environmental changes that can modify weather patterns and therefore human civilizations.
17.2K
01:28Human Genetics
1.7K
Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
1.7K
01:26Requirements for Human Life
14.1K
The Earth and its atmosphere have provided humans with air, water, and food, but these are not the only requirements for survival. Humans also require a specific range of temperature and pressure that the Earth and its atmosphere provides.
Oxygen
Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen is a key component of the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that produce ATP. Brain cells are susceptible to a lack of oxygen because they require a...
Oxygen
Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen is a key component of the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that produce ATP. Brain cells are susceptible to a lack of oxygen because they require a...
14.1K
01:28Role of Proteins in the Human Body
6.7K
Proteins are the building block of life. They are also the most abundant macromolecules with as many diverse roles in the body. They are part of many structural components that provide unique shapes and structures to animal cells, tissues, and organs. In addition, they also act as biological catalysts and carry out several anabolic and catabolic reactions. Notably, some proteins are chemical messengers and regulate many critical processes, such as metabolism, growth, and development. They...
6.7K
01:28Maslow's Theory of Basic Human Needs
3.3K
Maslow's hierarchy is described with the help of a pyramidal shape. The most fundamental needs, physiological needs, are at the bottom of the pyramid.
Physiological needs such as hunger, thirst, sex, physical comfort, and survival are at the bottom of the pyramid. These are the components that are necessary to sustain life. Once the first level of needs has been met, the second level arises.
Safety needs include stability and predictability. Protection and freedom from danger are all a part...
Physiological needs such as hunger, thirst, sex, physical comfort, and survival are at the bottom of the pyramid. These are the components that are necessary to sustain life. Once the first level of needs has been met, the second level arises.
Safety needs include stability and predictability. Protection and freedom from danger are all a part...
3.3K
01:25Compounds Essential to Human Function
10.5K
The human body is composed of cells that are fundamentally made up of several different molecules. These molecules are essential to carry out all physiological processes in the body and are broadly classified into organic and inorganic based on their chemical structures.
Inorganic Compounds Essential to Human Functioning
Inorganic compounds essential to human functioning include water, salts, acids, and bases. These compounds are inorganic, i.e., they do not have a carbon-hydrogen bond. Water...
Inorganic Compounds Essential to Human Functioning
Inorganic compounds essential to human functioning include water, salts, acids, and bases. These compounds are inorganic, i.e., they do not have a carbon-hydrogen bond. Water...
10.5K