A5033547173- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Religion and Society Interactions
- Action Observation and Synchronization
- Cultural Differences and Values
- Anthropological Studies and Insights
- Language and cultural evolution
- Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Child and Animal Learning Development
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Diverse Approaches in Healthcare and Education Studies
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Health and Wellbeing Research
- Physical Activity and Health
- Categorization, perception, and language
- Education and Learning Interventions
- Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Pain Management and Placebo Effect
- Religion and Society in Latin America
- Embodied and Extended Cognition
- Religion, Society, and Development
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Face Recognition and Perception
North Carolina State University
2025
University of Oxford
2015-2024
Institute of Human Sciences
2023
Google (United States)
2022
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
2010-2021
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva
2008-2018
Los Alamos National Laboratory
2015
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
2010-2013
Max Planck Society
2010-2013
Radboud University Nijmegen
2010
Group dancing is a ubiquitous human activity that involves exertive synchronized movement to music. It hypothesized play role in social bonding, potentially via the release of endorphins, which are analgesic and reward-inducing, have been implicated primate bonding. We used 2 × experimental design examine effects exertion synchrony on Both demonstrated significant independent positive pain threshold (a proxy for endorphin activation) in-group This suggests dance both may be an effective...
The emergence of large-scale cooperation during the Holocene remains a central problem in evolutionary literature. One hypothesis points to culturally evolved beliefs punishing, interventionist gods that facilitate extension cooperative behaviour toward geographically distant co-religionists. Furthermore, another such mechanisms being constrained religious ingroup, possibly at expense outgroups. To test these hypotheses, we administered two behavioural experiments and set interviews sample...
Physical exercise is known to stimulate the release of endorphins, creating a mild sense euphoria that has rewarding properties. Using pain tolerance (a conventional non-invasive assay for endorphin release), we show synchronized training in college rowing crew creates heightened surge compared with similar regime carried out alone. This effect from activity may explain experienced during other social activities (such as laughter, music-making and dancing) are involved bonding humans...
The cognitive science of religion has made a persuasive case for the view that number different psychological systems are involved in construction and transmission notions extranatural agency such as deities spirits. Until now this work been based largely on findings experimental psychology, illustrated mainly with hypothetical or anecdotal examples. In Mind Possessed, Emma Cohen considers how undergirding spirit concepts activated real-world settings Spirit possession practices have long...
Abstract The emergence of pro‐social behaviors and social interaction skills is a major focus research on children's development. Here, we consider one important feature human interactions, interpersonal movement synchrony, explore its effects pro‐sociality among young children. Coordinated movements are crucial part mother–infant with extending well into childhood. Musical interactions also known to facilitate bonding between infants caretakers peers. We specifically examine the synchrony...
Recent game-theoretic simulation and analytical models have demonstrated that cooperative strategies mediated by indicators of potential, or "tags," can invade, spread, resist invasion noncooperators across a range population-structure cost-benefit scenarios. The plausibility these is potentially relevant for human evolutionary accounts insofar as humans possess some phenotypic trait could serve reliable tag. Linguistic markers, such accent dialect, frequently been either cursorily defended...
Group dynamics play an important role in the social interactions of both children and adults. A large amount research has shown that merely being allocated to arbitrarily defined groups can evoke disproportionately positive attitudes toward one's in-group negative out-groups, these biases emerge early childhood. This prompts empirical questions with far-reaching theoretical applied significance. How robust are inter-group biases? Can be mitigated by behaviors known bond individuals together?...
Matching the timing of one's movements to others has been proposed increase affiliation and prosociality. Although coordinated facilitate early social interactions, not much is known about mechanisms effects movement synchrony throughout development. Two studies investigated 12‐month‐olds' (Study 1, N = 40) 9‐month‐olds' 2, 41) preferences for synchronous in a as opposed nonsocial context. It was found that exclusively guides infants' choices at 12 months. In contrast, 9‐month‐olds did show...
Synchronising movements in time with others can have significant positive effects on affiliative attitudes and behaviors. To explore the generalizability of synchrony effects, to eliminate confounds suggestion, competence shared intention typical standard laboratory field experiments, we used an Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) environment. Participants, represented as virtual humans, took part a joint movement activity two other programmed humans. The timings co-participant characters' were...
Understanding the expansion of human sociality and cooperation beyond kith kin remains an important evolutionary puzzle. There is likely a complex web processes including institutions, norms, practices that contributes to this phenomenon. Considerable evidence suggests one such process involves certain components religious systems may have fostered in variety ways, both forms rituals commitment particular types gods. Using experimental economic game, our team specifically tested whether or...
Abstract Reviewing anthropological analyses of possession forms cross-culturally and drawing from recent advances in cognitive psychology, this paper attempts to explain recurrent features spirit possession. Spirit concepts fall into broadly two varieties: one that entails the transformation or replacement identity (executive possession) envisages possessing spirits as (the cause of) illness misfortune (pathogenic possession). The these divergent conceptual structures may be explained, at...
Abstract We report the results of a cross‐cultural investigation person‐body reasoning in United Kingdom and northern Brazilian Amazon (Marajó Island). The study provides evidence that directly bears upon divergent theoretical claims cognitive psychology anthropology, respectively, on origins incidence mind‐body dualism. In novel task, we found participants across two sample populations parsed wide range capacities similarly terms capacities’ perceived anchoring to bodily function. Patterns...
Abstract A considerable body of research cross-culturally examines the evolution religious traditions, beliefs and behaviors. The bulk this research, however, draws from coded qualitative ethnographies rather than standardized methods specifically designed to measure Psychological data sets that examine thought behavior in controlled conditions tend be disproportionately sampled student populations. Some cross-national databases employ at individual level, but are primarily focused on fully...
In June 2017 a group of experts in anthropology, biology, kinesiology, neuroscience, physiology, and psychology convened Canterbury, UK, to address questions relating the placebo effect sport exercise. The event was supported exclusively by Quality Related (QR) funding from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). funder did not influence content or conclusions group. No competing interests were declared any delegate. During meeting follow-up correspondence, all delegates agreed...
Abstract It is widely held that intuitive dualism —an implicit default mode of thought takes minds to be separable from bodies and capable independent existence—is a human universal. Among the findings taken support universal pattern evidence in which “psychological” traits (knowledge, desires) are judged more likely continue after death than bodily or “biological” (perceptual, physiological, states). Here, we present cross‐cultural six study populations, including non‐Western societies with...
There are compelling reasons to expect that cognitively representing any active, powerful deity motivates cooperative behavior. One mechanism underlying this association could be a cognitive bias toward generally attributing moral concern anthropomorphic agents. If humans represent the minds of deities and in same way, if human agents conceptualized as having concern, broad tendency attribute concern—a "moralization bias"—to supernatural follows. Using data from 2,228 individuals 15...
To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mammalian distribution reproductive inequality. We show that exhibit lower skew (i.e., inequality in number surviving offspring) among males and smaller sex differences than most other mammals, while nevertheless falling range. Additionally, female is higher polygynous populations nonhumans mammals on average. This patterning can be attributed part to prevalence monogamy compared predominance polygyny...
Abstract To investigate possible cognitive factors influencing the cross-cultural incidence of spirit possession concepts and to develop a more refined understanding precise contours 'intuitive mind-body dualism' (Bloom, 2004), two studies were conducted that explored adults' intuitions about relationship between minds bodies. Specifically, how participants reason effects hypothetical mind-migration across range behaviours. Both used mind-transfer scenarios in which mind one person ("Beth")...
In two experimental studies, we investigated mechanisms hypothesized to underpin pervasive and interrelated phenomena: that certain forms of group movement exercise lead social bonding can enhanced performance. Study 1, manipulated synchrony intensity among rowers found that, compared with low exercise, moderate led significantly higher levels cooperation in an economic game; no effect vs. non-synchrony was found. 2, the effects on performance, using as a cue existing supportive bonds...
Shared beliefs about supernatural agents and joint engagement in ritual activities are often proposed to engender cohesion cooperation within religious communities. We report the results of an experiment that investigated effects religious-concept priming synchronous activity among Brazilian drummers. Participants were divided into two between-subjects narrative conditions: secular. Within each condition, we applied a within-subjects design investigate solo, group synchronous,...