The psychology of rituals: An integrative review and process-based framework

Abstract

Traditionally, ritual has been studied from broad sociocultural perspectives, with little consideration of the psychological processes at play. Recently, however, psychologists have begun turning their attention to the study of ritual, uncovering the causal mechanisms driving this universal aspect of human behavior. With growing interest in the psychology of ritual, the current paper provides an organizing framework to understand recent empirical work from social psychology, cognitive science, anthropology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience. Our framework focuses on three primary regulatory functions of rituals: regulation of (1) emotions, (2) performance goal states, and (3) social connection. We examine the possible mechanisms underlying each function by considering the bottom-up processes that emerge from the physical features of rituals and top-down processes that emerge from the psychological meaning of rituals. Our framework, by appreciating the value of psychological theory, generates novel predictions and enriches our understanding of ritual and human behavior more broadly.

The virtues of collective gatherings: A study on the positive effects of a major scouting event

“…The effects of participation in collective gatherings are now relatively well documented through experimental and laboratory studies. Nevertheless, collective gatherings are characterized by great diversity, both in terms of structure and valence (for a review, see Hobson, Schroeder, Risen, Xygalatas, & Inzlicht, ). Studying their effects in highly ecological contexts is therefore crucial.…”

Superstitious Behaviour in Sportspersons in Relation to Their Performance at Intercollegiate Level

“…According to the study conducted by Burger and Lynn [22] where superstitions of major league baseball players were studied, it was found that their belief in luck having an impact on performance, leaded to an impact on their performance. According to the study conducted by Hobson [23], rituals help in greater immersion in the context of the goal, help in boosting their confidence and motivation that success in goal achievement is likely. According to the study conducted by Hamerman and Morewedge [4], it was found that preference and assignment to a lucky (vs. unlucky) item lead to greater confidence of achieving performance goals but not learning goals.…”

Ritual Forms and Ritual Stuff: Implications of Lawson and McCauley's Ritual Form Hypothesis for Material Culture

“…(For a review, see Hobson et al. 2017.) These theories typically hypothesize that ritual activities activate an information‐processing system that produces an effect like that described in an anthropological theory.…”