Autonomic arousal and group cohesion
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| Year of publication | 2012 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Religion has been theorized to help produce social solidarity amongst a group (Durkheim, 2001 [1912]). A number of empirical studies have supported this theory with cross-cultural evidence (e.g. Norenzayan & Shariff, 2008; Sosis & Ruffle, 2003). How does religion increase group cohesion? A number of mechanisms have been highlighted: e.g. costly signaling (Sosis, 2003), supernatural punishment (Irons, 1996), synchrony (Reddish et al, submitted). Here I concentrate on the potential role of arousal as a number of religious traditions involve high arousal rituals. Key research question: does arousal play an important role in the development of group cohesion? Results from experimental field research suggest that there is a correlation between higher arousal and higher pro-social behavioural traits (Xygalatas et al, 2011). Here I experimentally test the arousal-cohesion link in the laboratory to help establish causation. I operationalize arousal as an increase in heart rate. I operationalize cohesion as a perceived entitativity ["The degree to which a collective of people (aggregate of persons/individuals) are perceived as a group." (Campbell, 1958)]. |
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