Anthropomorphic Representations : Investigating Proximate Mechanisms of Setting on Cooperative Behaviour
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| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Religious settings are rife with signs and symbols which act to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations, to adapt Geertzs well-known formulation. Recent experimental work has helped to confirm the effects of religious settings on cooperative, prosocial behaviour. But what is it, in particular, about religious settings that induce such effects? We hypothesize that the anthropomorphic statues, icons, and images that commonly adorn sacred spaces serve as proximate mechanisms for establishing the cooperative moods and motivations emphasized in so many religious philosophies. We de- signed and implemented a two-site investigation (in Czech Re- public and Denmark) of the role of gaze, as manifested by two- dimensional anthropomorphic images and three-dimensional anthropomorphic objects, on peoples monetary contributions for a canned beverage in a naturalistic setting. Deriving from mechanisms akin to Barretts Hypersensitive Agency Detection Device and Baron-Cohens Eye Direction Detector, we argue that anthropomorphic representations stimulate pathways and promote behaviour more typically linked to social interactions and group dynamics. This work relates to a general discussion about the role of priming in behavioural studies while addressing specific questions about the materiality of religious settings. |