Witchcraft, Envy, and Norm Enforcement in Mauritius

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Cultural Anthropology
• Religious Studies

Background:

• Religious beliefs often enforce social norms, but their application to other supernatural beliefs like witchcraft is underexplored.
• Witchcraft beliefs are prevalent in many cultures and may serve social functions beyond religious frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of witchcraft beliefs in enforcing social norms, specifically concerning envy, in Mauritius.
• To differentiate the norm-enforcing functions of witchcraft beliefs from religious beliefs.

Main Methods:

• Two pre-registered studies were conducted in Mauritius with in-person data collection.
• Study 1 (N=445) examined perceptions of harm, motivations (envy, self-interest), and attributions of witchcraft.
• Study 2 (N=292) explored attributions of misfortune following norm violations (causing envy vs. selfish acts) to witchcraft versus God.

Main Results:

• Practicing witchcraft and motivations of envy or self-interest increased perceptions of harm and witchcraft attribution, with envy having a stronger effect.
• Belief in witchcraft negatively impacted social views and reputation.
• Misfortune following envy-norm violations was attributed to witchcraft, while misfortune following selfish acts was attributed to God, indicating witchcraft's role in enforcing anti-envy norms.

Conclusions:

• Witchcraft beliefs in Mauritius function to enforce specific social norms related to preventing envy.
• These findings suggest that witchcraft beliefs can support distinct social norms compared to those supported by religious beliefs.
• The study highlights the nuanced role of supernatural beliefs in regulating social behavior within specific cultural contexts.