Can sexual selection theory explain the evolution of individual and group-level religious beliefs and behaviors?
Although the scientific study of religion is predicated on the evolution of the human mind, sexual selection theory and mating strategies have received relatively little attention as an adaptive cognitive mechanism that influences religious belief and behavior. The empirical study of two hypotheses...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Routledge
2017
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| In: |
Religion, brain & behavior
Year: 2017, Volume: 7, Issue: 4, Pages: 335-338 |
| Further subjects: | B
mating strategies
B human sexual behavior B sexual selection theory B Evolutionary Psychology B cognitive science of religion |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Although the scientific study of religion is predicated on the evolution of the human mind, sexual selection theory and mating strategies have received relatively little attention as an adaptive cognitive mechanism that influences religious belief and behavior. The empirical study of two hypotheses can begin to show how sexual selection theory can explain certain aspects of religion: (1) religious beliefs and behaviors are strongly influenced by unconscious features of individual evolved mating strategies; and (2) religion helps to facilitate the features of long-term mating strategies in order to promote cooperation and cohesion in groups and regulate the often competitive and more negative features of human mating. |
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| ISSN: | 2153-5981 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion, brain & behavior
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/2153599X.2016.1249922 |