CPSY620 - Lecture 6 - Religious Thinking

Office Hours Information

  • This week's office hours are altered due to the break.

    • No office hours on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.

    • Only opportunity for office hours is today with TA Hannah from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.

  • Next week, office hours will be held as scheduled.

  • Final written exam is due on the 8th.

    • No classes will be held during the week of the 8th due to the reading period.

  • An email with further information about office hours will be circulated for the week of the 8th.

Religion as a Social Group

Introduction to the Lecture

  • Today's lecture will focus on religion as a social group, a topic rich in research.

  • Aim is to help students:

    1. Identify major positions in cognitive science regarding whether religion is an adaptation or a byproduct.

    2. Describe three major types of research on how children are socialized into religious belief and practice.

Defining Religion

  • Definition (for the lecture): Religion is a system of spiritual beliefs, practices, or both.

    • Practices: Actions such as going to church, prayer, meditation, and participation in rituals.

    • Beliefs: Faith in a deity or higher power.

    • Organized around worship and can vary widely.

  • Note on definitional complexity: The definition of religion is contested and invites debate.

Prevalence of Religion

  • Religion is a pervasive aspect of human societies, documented throughout history.

  • Statistics: 69% of global respondents report that religion is somewhat or very important to their lives.

  • 90% of people worldwide believe in God or a universal spirit.

  • Importance of considering diverse perspectives, especially for those in secular or non-religious environments.

Global Religious Diversity

Research Data from Pew Research Center

  • Statistical insights into the distribution of religions:

    • Global population (2020):

    • Christianity: 28.8%

    • Islam: 24.1%

    • Religiously Unaffiliated: 16%

    • Other religions: Various smaller percentages.

    • Majority religion by country:

    • Colors used to represent different religions (e.g., red for Christians, green for Muslims, gray for unaffiliated, yellow for Hindus, orange for Buddhists).

    • Religiosity vs. Religious Affiliation:

    • Religiosity indicates how important religion is to individuals, while affiliation describes group association.

    • Dark orange on the map represents high importance of religion, while lighter shades indicate lesser importance.

Insights on Religious Beliefs and Practices

  • Discussion about how children engage with and adopt religious beliefs.

  • Charts and graphs indicate various beliefs and practices across different regions and demographics.

Origins of Religion

The Debate: Adaptation vs. Byproduct
Defining Key Terms

  • Adaptation: Traits that provide a direct fitness benefit and are selected through evolution.

    • Example: The ability to see as an adaptation for survival.

  • Byproduct: Traits that arise as a consequence of evolutionary processes rather than being selected for.

Positions on Religion

  1. Religion as Adaptation:

    • Religion evolved as a solution to coordination problems in human societies, enhancing group cooperation and moral norms.

    • Functions like promoting group cohesion and improving conflict success.

  2. Religion as Byproduct:

    • Religion arises from evolved psychological systems, as suggested by researchers like Bloom and Banerjee. Their work indicates that religious beliefs are not adaptations in themselves but emerge from cognitive processes that serve other functions, such as:

      • Hyperactive Agency Detection Device: The tendency to attribute agency where none may exist (e.g., interpreting rustling bushes as animals).

      • Theory of Mind: The ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others, facilitating understanding of intentions.

      • Teleological Thinking: The inclination to assume purpose in events (e.g., everything happens for a reason).

Thought Experiment: Tarzan's Belief in God

  • Argument: A child raised without any exposure to religious beliefs would unlikely develop religious beliefs independently (Tarzan scenario).

  • Takeaway: Cultural transmission is essential for the development of religion.

Discussion on Adaptive and Byproduct Positions

  • Contrasting Perspectives: There may not be a right or wrong; both positions explore different facets of the origins of religion.

  • Class discussion on the compellingness of adaptation vs. byproduct views, considering cultural influences and cognitive predispositions.

Children and Religion

Religious Socialization and Development

  • Discussion on children's exposure to religious beliefs and practices from a young age.

  • Approximately 52% of parents believe it's important to teach religious faith to children.

  • Key themes from the article by Reichardt and Corvu highlight that religious cognition develops through cultural transmission, where children learn about unobservable agents. Their work emphasizes how the interaction between cognition and culture shapes children's understanding of religious concepts.

Categories of Research on Religious Agents

  1. Understanding Religious Agents:

    • Research in this area explores how children come to believe in unobservable entities (e.g., God, angels).

    • This also investigates children’s views on agency and how they explain worldly phenomena (e.g., natural disasters).

    • Example Study: Research findings indicate that children endorsed both religious and scientific unobservable entities, with variations observed depending on their majority or minority status within specific cultures.

  2. Nature of Existence:

    • Studies examine children's understanding of existence, souls, and the afterlife.

    • Research Example: In studies where children and parents discuss human origins, children’s beliefs are often found to significantly align with those of their parents. Younger children, in particular, show tendencies towards creationist beliefs.

  3. Religious Identity:

    • Research demonstrates in-group bias among children, favoring those who share their religious practices.

    • Studies indicate that children's identification with their parental religion typically develops later in childhood, highlighting the importance of shared practices over an early-formed identity.

Religious Essentialism

  • Concept: Essentialism posits that a person’s religion reflects inherent qualities.

  • Factors influencing essentialism:

    • Societal conflict related to religion (e.g., Northern Ireland).

    • Parental influences and the language they use.

    • Exposure to diversity and its effects on reducing essentialist thinking.

Conclusion of the Lecture

  • Review highlights how children's understanding of religion is shaped both biologically and culturally.

  • Exploration of how different studies contribute to understanding belief systems and the development of religious identities.

  • Reminder of the ongoing work in the Developing Belief Network and the potential for further research.