Ritualized Behavior across Disciplines: From Ethology to Religious Studies
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | While the appearance of ritual behavior in the archaeological record can be traced back to first ritual burials, I will argue that its evolutionary roots are much deeper. That is, I will argue that humans share certain aspects of rituals (denoted as ritualized behavior) with other members of the Hominid family, and that these ritual features are common also to other mammals due to the shared principles of the mammalian cognitive architecture. Understanding of the evolution and functioning of this cognitive architecture can help us explain why we observe ritualized behavior in various contexts such religious ceremonies, sports, pathological gambling, or psychological disorders. As a case in point for the talk will serve the relationship between ritualized behavior and uncertainty, which is often manifested in anxiogenic states motivating the organism to stereotypical, overcautious actions. I will present empirical research disentangling the complex relationship between anxiety and ritualized behavior, focusing on the combination of laboratory and field experimental methods. |
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