Material insecurity predicts greater commitment to moralistic and less commitment to local deities: a cross-cultural investigation

Adam Baimel; Coren Apicella; Quentin Atkinson; Alex Bolyanatz; Emma Cohen; Carla Handley; Joseph Henrich; Eva Kundtová Klocová; Martin Lang; Carolyn Lesogorol; Sarah Mathew; Rita McNamara; Cristina Moya; Ara Norenzayan; Caitlyn D. Placek; Monserrat Soler; Thomas Vardy; Jonathan Weigel; Aiyana Willard; Dimitris Xygalatas; Benjamin Purzycki

doi:10.1080/2153599X.2021.2006287

Material insecurity predicts greater commitment to moralistic and less commitment to local deities: a cross-cultural investigation

Adam Baimel^*, Coren Apicella, Quentin Atkinson, Alex Bolyanatz, Emma Cohen, Carla Handley, Joseph Henrich, Eva Kundtová Klocová, Martin Lang, Carolyn Lesogorol, Sarah Mathew, Rita McNamara, Cristina Moya, Ara Norenzayan, Caitlyn D. Placek, Monserrat Soler, Thomas Vardy, Jonathan Weigel, Aiyana Willard, Dimitris XygalatasBenjamin Purzycki

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Culture and Society - Department of the Study of Religion

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Abstract

The existential security hypothesis predicts that in the absence of more successful secular institutions, people will be attracted to religion when they are materially insecure. Most assessments, however, employ data sampled at a state-level with a focus on world religions. Using individual-level data collected in societies of varied community sizes with diverse religious traditions including animism, shamanism, polytheism, and monotheism, we conducted a systematic cross-cultural test (N = 1820; 14 societies) of the relationship between material insecurity (indexed by food insecurity) and religious commitment (indexed by both beliefs and practices). Moreover, we examined the relationship between material security and individuals’ commitment to two types of deities (moralistic and local), thus providing the first simultaneous test of the existential security hypothesis across co-existing traditions. Our results indicate that while material insecurity is associated with greater commitment to moralistic deities, it predicts less commitment to local deity traditions.

Original language	English
Journal	Religion, Brain and Behavior
Volume	12
Issue	1-2
Pages (from-to)	4-17
ISSN	2153-599X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2021.2006287
Publication status	Published - Apr 2022

Keywords

cross-cultural
existential insecurity
moralistic gods
Religious commitment

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10.1080/2153599X.2021.2006287Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Material insecurity predicts greater commitment to moralistic and less commitment to local deities a cross cultural investigationFinal published version, 2.07 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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Baimel, A., Apicella, C., Atkinson, Q., Bolyanatz, A., Cohen, E., Handley, C., Henrich, J., Kundtová Klocová, E., Lang, M., Lesogorol, C., Mathew, S., McNamara, R., Moya, C., Norenzayan, A., Placek, C. D., Soler, M., Vardy, T., Weigel, J., Willard, A., ... Purzycki, B. (2022). Material insecurity predicts greater commitment to moralistic and less commitment to local deities: a cross-cultural investigation. Religion, Brain and Behavior, 12(1-2), 4-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2021.2006287

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title = "Material insecurity predicts greater commitment to moralistic and less commitment to local deities: a cross-cultural investigation",

abstract = "The existential security hypothesis predicts that in the absence of more successful secular institutions, people will be attracted to religion when they are materially insecure. Most assessments, however, employ data sampled at a state-level with a focus on world religions. Using individual-level data collected in societies of varied community sizes with diverse religious traditions including animism, shamanism, polytheism, and monotheism, we conducted a systematic cross-cultural test (N = 1820; 14 societies) of the relationship between material insecurity (indexed by food insecurity) and religious commitment (indexed by both beliefs and practices). Moreover, we examined the relationship between material security and individuals{\textquoteright} commitment to two types of deities (moralistic and local), thus providing the first simultaneous test of the existential security hypothesis across co-existing traditions. Our results indicate that while material insecurity is associated with greater commitment to moralistic deities, it predicts less commitment to local deity traditions.",

keywords = "cross-cultural, existential insecurity, moralistic gods, Religious commitment",

author = "Adam Baimel and Coren Apicella and Quentin Atkinson and Alex Bolyanatz and Emma Cohen and Carla Handley and Joseph Henrich and {Kundtov{\'a} Klocov{\'a}}, Eva and Martin Lang and Carolyn Lesogorol and Sarah Mathew and Rita McNamara and Cristina Moya and Ara Norenzayan and Placek, {Caitlyn D.} and Monserrat Soler and Thomas Vardy and Jonathan Weigel and Aiyana Willard and Dimitris Xygalatas and Benjamin Purzycki",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.",

year = "2022",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1080/2153599X.2021.2006287",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

pages = "4--17",

journal = "Religion, Brain and Behavior",

issn = "2153-599X",

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Baimel, A, Apicella, C, Atkinson, Q, Bolyanatz, A, Cohen, E, Handley, C, Henrich, J, Kundtová Klocová, E, Lang, M, Lesogorol, C, Mathew, S, McNamara, R, Moya, C, Norenzayan, A, Placek, CD, Soler, M, Vardy, T, Weigel, J, Willard, A, Xygalatas, D & Purzycki, B 2022, 'Material insecurity predicts greater commitment to moralistic and less commitment to local deities: a cross-cultural investigation', Religion, Brain and Behavior, vol. 12, no. 1-2, pp. 4-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2021.2006287

Material insecurity predicts greater commitment to moralistic and less commitment to local deities: a cross-cultural investigation. / Baimel, Adam; Apicella, Coren; Atkinson, Quentin et al.
In: Religion, Brain and Behavior, Vol. 12, No. 1-2, 04.2022, p. 4-17.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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T1 - Material insecurity predicts greater commitment to moralistic and less commitment to local deities

T2 - a cross-cultural investigation

AU - Baimel, Adam

AU - Apicella, Coren

AU - Atkinson, Quentin

AU - Bolyanatz, Alex

AU - Cohen, Emma

AU - Handley, Carla

AU - Henrich, Joseph

AU - Kundtová Klocová, Eva

AU - Lang, Martin

AU - Lesogorol, Carolyn

AU - Mathew, Sarah

AU - McNamara, Rita

AU - Moya, Cristina

AU - Norenzayan, Ara

AU - Placek, Caitlyn D.

AU - Soler, Monserrat

AU - Vardy, Thomas

AU - Weigel, Jonathan

AU - Willard, Aiyana

AU - Xygalatas, Dimitris

AU - Purzycki, Benjamin

PY - 2022/4

Y1 - 2022/4

N2 - The existential security hypothesis predicts that in the absence of more successful secular institutions, people will be attracted to religion when they are materially insecure. Most assessments, however, employ data sampled at a state-level with a focus on world religions. Using individual-level data collected in societies of varied community sizes with diverse religious traditions including animism, shamanism, polytheism, and monotheism, we conducted a systematic cross-cultural test (N = 1820; 14 societies) of the relationship between material insecurity (indexed by food insecurity) and religious commitment (indexed by both beliefs and practices). Moreover, we examined the relationship between material security and individuals’ commitment to two types of deities (moralistic and local), thus providing the first simultaneous test of the existential security hypothesis across co-existing traditions. Our results indicate that while material insecurity is associated with greater commitment to moralistic deities, it predicts less commitment to local deity traditions.

AB - The existential security hypothesis predicts that in the absence of more successful secular institutions, people will be attracted to religion when they are materially insecure. Most assessments, however, employ data sampled at a state-level with a focus on world religions. Using individual-level data collected in societies of varied community sizes with diverse religious traditions including animism, shamanism, polytheism, and monotheism, we conducted a systematic cross-cultural test (N = 1820; 14 societies) of the relationship between material insecurity (indexed by food insecurity) and religious commitment (indexed by both beliefs and practices). Moreover, we examined the relationship between material security and individuals’ commitment to two types of deities (moralistic and local), thus providing the first simultaneous test of the existential security hypothesis across co-existing traditions. Our results indicate that while material insecurity is associated with greater commitment to moralistic deities, it predicts less commitment to local deity traditions.

KW - cross-cultural

KW - existential insecurity

KW - moralistic gods

KW - Religious commitment

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U2 - 10.1080/2153599X.2021.2006287

DO - 10.1080/2153599X.2021.2006287

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85128338432

SN - 2153-599X

VL - 12

SP - 4

EP - 17

JO - Religion, Brain and Behavior

JF - Religion, Brain and Behavior

IS - 1-2

ER -

Material insecurity predicts greater commitment to moralistic and less commitment to local deities: a cross-cultural investigation

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