In God we trust? Neural measures reveal lower social conformity among non-religious individuals.
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci
; 12(6): 956-964, 2017 06 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28338784
ABSTRACT
Even in predominantly religious societies, there are substantial individual differences in religious commitment. Why is this? One possibility is that differences in social conformity (i.e. the tendency to think and behave as others do) underlie inclination towards religiosity. However, the link between religiosity and conformity has not yet been directly examined. In this study, we tested the notion that non-religious individuals show dampened social conformity, using both self-reported and neural (EEG-based ERPs) measures of sensitivity to others' influence. Non-religious vs religious undergraduate subjects completed an experimental task that assessed levels of conformity in a domain unrelated to religion (i.e. in judgments of facial attractiveness). Findings showed that, although both groups yielded to conformity pressures at the self-report level, non-religious individuals did not yield to such pressures in their neural responses. These findings highlight a novel link between religiosity and social conformity, and hold implications for prominent theories about the psychological functions of religion.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Religião e Psicologia
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Conformidade Social
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci
Ano de publicação:
2017
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos