Ritual cognition: ritualized action and artefact

Abstract

The following dissertation is an in-depth examination of the cognition and behaviour associated with ritualized action. Within the Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) framework considerable resources have been devoted to understanding how rituals influence the way groups form, and how they influence the behaviour of individuals with respect to in-and out-group members (though other dimensions of ritual-related topics are discussed hereafter). However, as evinced by the publication record, very little effort has been devoted to understanding how we cognitively and behaviourally respond when rituals are directed towards objects and artefacts.That this question has been overlooked is not a trivial academic matter. Rituals are ubiquitous across cultures, and while the vast majority of rituals are performed for the benefit of an individual or a group, a vast subset therein are performed toward objects, and thereby influence the way in which we interact with them. Wedding bands, birthday cakes, flags, holy water, and entire buildings (to name but a few) are all made unique via ritual action. What is it about such actions that bestow upon objects their status? Why and how does this come about? And can it be explained through wholly ordinary cognitive mechanisms?In my introduction I outline the most relevant theories, which both inform and challenge our nascent understanding of object-directed rituals. I make suggestions as to which theories have the most promise in examining these questions. Further, I attempt to provide a theoretical and operational definition which is not merely a descriptive constellation of general features, but a definition which proposes a causal pathway of action. In so doing, I elevate the role of 'causal opacity' and 'goal demotion' to greater prominence (above featural qualities like repetition, redundancy, formality, and stereotypy). The following chapters sequentially present evidence for this definition, as well as exploring other important cognitive aspects associated with ritual cognition. RITUAL COGNITION 3In chapter two I establish a robust protocol for examining the manner in which ritualized actions influence our cognitions. I challenge the methods and conclusions of prior work that has examined the role objects and artefacts play in ritual sequences. I examine predications made by the 'ritual stance', a theoretical framework for explaining ritual cognition, and find support for a nuanced picture of ritual cognition when ritualized actions are directed toward objects.In chapter three I extend the findings of chapter two, and more clearly demarcate the unique role of goal demotion. I find support for the claim that causal opacity and goal demotion are separable, and account for different kinds of responses among participants.Further, I examine the ways our memory (and by extension, our perception) is influenced by ritualized action.In chapter four I examine all previous findings in more ecologically valid settings. I examine the behaviour of children (in two distinct and ortho...

Millennial politics of architecture: Myths and nationhood in Budapest

“…Whereas the early 1990s had witnessed political debates over the political symbols such as the coat of arms, and waves of changes in street names and public statues had taken place practically all around the country and all around Budapest (Nyyssonen 1999;Kapitany & Kapitany 1999;Baan 1997;Palonen 2008b), by 1998 establishing national cultural institutions and making decisions on their aesthetics became a crucial tool for official politics of national identity in Hungary. Millennial celebrations in 2000 offered a great chance for that (Fowler 2004b, 57 -83).…”