The cultural morphospace of ritual form: examining modes of religiosity cross-culturally

Atkinson, Quentin D.; Whitehouse, Harvey

The cultural morphospace of ritual form: examining modes of religiosity cross-culturally

Evolution and Human behavior • Vol/Iss. 32 • Elsevier • • Published In 2011 • Pages: 50-62 •

By Atkinson, Quentin D., Whitehouse, Harvey

Abstract

This article examines the frequency and emotional arousal of ritual. Cross-cultural tests support the existence of two modes of religiosity: doctrinal, with high frequency and low emotionality of ritual, and imagistic, with low frequency and high emotionality of ritual. Both euphoric and dysphoric arousal are considered. Associations between these two modes of religiosity and other features of culture (such as group size and the use of agriculture) are examined.

Samples
Sample Used	Coded Data	Comment
eHRAF World Cultures	Combination

Hypotheses (4)
Hypothesis	Supported
Ritual frequency will be negatively associated with dysphoric and euphoric emotional arousal (52).	Partially supported
Major world religions will have higher frequency and lower arousal than small-scale traditions (52).	Supported
Emotional arousal in ritual will be negatively associated with group size, group hierarchy, and reliance on agriculture (52, 55).	Partially supported
Dysphorically arousing rituals will be positively associated with reliance on foraging rather than agriculture, and intergroup warfare (52).	Not Supported

Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: matthew.g.roth Amelia Piazza

The cultural morphospace of ritual form: examining modes of religiosity cross-culturally

Evolution and Human behavior • Vol/Iss. 32 • Elsevier • • Published In 2011 • Pages: 50-62 • Cite

By Atkinson, Quentin D., Whitehouse, Harvey

Abstract

Samples

Hypotheses (4)

Evolution and Human behavior • Vol/Iss. 32 • Elsevier • • Published In 2011 • Pages: 50-62 •