Cited by 569Evolutionary Game Theory and CooperationEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorViolence, Religion, and Philosophy

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Cooperation and Commune Longevity: A Test of the Costly Signaling Theory of Religion

Sosis, Richard, Bressler, Eric R.·2003·Cross-Cultural Research

DOI 10.1177/1069397103037002003

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Abstract

The costly signaling theory of religion posits that religious rituals and taboos can promote intragroup cooperation, which is argued to be the primary adaptive benefit of religion. To test this theory, the authors collected historical data on the constraints and ritual requirements that eighty-three 19th-century U.S. communes imposed on their members. All communes must solve the collective action problem of cooperative labor to survive; thus, they are an ideal population to assess the impact of ritual and taboo on intragroup cooperation. The authors evaluated whether communes that imposed costlier requirements survived longer than less demanding communes and whether costly requirements and religiosity interact to promote cooperation. The results support aspects of the costly signaling theory of religion and reveal new avenues for its development. The authors discuss some of the shortcomings of the theory and explore ways to expand the theory that incorporate additional features of ritual and religious belief.

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Authors: Sosis, R., & Bressler, E. R.
Affiliations: University of Connecticut (US)
McMaster University (CA)
ORCID: Sosis, Richard
Venue: Cross-Cultural Research
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2003-05
Volume: 37
Issue: 2
Pages: 211-239
ISSN: 0094-3673 (ISSN-L)
1069-3971
1552-3578
DOI: 10.1177/1069397103037002003
OpenAlex: W2044683788
Cited by: 569
References: 74
Citations by year: 2026: 9 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 64 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 24
FWCI: 37.81
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Cross-Cultural Research (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Violence, Religion, and Philosophy
Keywords: religious rituals, taboos, communes, collective action, religious constraints, religious beliefs

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Cooperation and Commune Longevity: A Test of the Costly Signaling Theory of Religion

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