Ritual well-being: toward a social signaling model of religion and mental health

Abstract

Aerobic exercise as a potential way to improve self-control after ego-depletion in healthy female college students. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, Article 501.

The Psychology of Rituals: An Integrative Review and Process-Based Framework

“…Since even the most basic ritual actions are judged as more meaningful compared to non-ritual actions , 2016, it is reasonable that completing a ritual transfers meaning and increases the value of the associated goal. In other words, because rituals tend to be performed in important situations, performing a ritual may lead people to infer that the situation is important, leading them to place more value on their current goals.…”

“…The regular practice of effortful religious rituals signals personal commitment and builds implicit self-control over time, promoting adaptive behaviors that enhance health and well-being (Whitehouse, 2002;Wood, 2016).…”

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

“…That is, rituals either lack overt instrumental purpose, or their constitutive actions themselves are not immediately causally linked to the stated goal of the ritual (Herrmann, Legare, Harris, & Whitehouse, 2013;Legare & Souza, 2012;Rappaport, 1999). This "causal opaqueness" , 2016Legare & Souza, 2012 results in features that are impervious to rational hypothesis testing, often displaying features that appear arbitrary, characterized by unnecessary repetition and stereotypy (Rutherford, 2006;Smith & Stewart, 2011;Sosis & Ruffle, 2004). For example, setting a table to prepare for a meal is typically not considered to be a ritual.…”

“…Because even the most basic ritual actions are judged as more meaningful compared with nonritual actions , 2016, it is reasonable that completing a ritual transfers meaning and increases the value of the associated goal. In other words, because rituals tend to be performed in important situations, performing a ritual may lead people to infer that the situation is important, leading them to place more value on their current goals.…”

“…Third, religious concepts, which are closely linked to ritual practice and prayer, have been shown to improve selfregulation and self-control (e.g., Fishbach, Friedman, & Kruglanski, 2003;Laurin, Kay, & Fitzsimons, 2012;Mazar, Amir, & Ariely, 2008;Rounding, Lee, Jacobson, & Ji, 2012;Shariff & Norenzayan, 2007;Xygalatas, 2013; but see Good, Inzlicht, & Larson, 2015), suggesting that the rituals common to many religions are associated with the ongoing goals of impulse control and self-monitoring (Koole et al, 2010;McCullough & Willoughby, 2009;Norenzayan et al, 2016;Rossano, 2012). The regular practice of effortful religious rituals signals personal commitment and builds implicit selfcontrol over time, promoting adaptive behaviors that enhance health and well-being (Whitehouse, 2002;Wood, 2016).…”