Biased Perceptions of Costs and Benefits in Ritual Participation : Insights from the Kavadi Ceremony
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14210%2F25%3A00144434" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14210/25:00144434 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://iahr2025.org/" target="_blank" >https://iahr2025.org/</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
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Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Biased Perceptions of Costs and Benefits in Ritual Participation : Insights from the Kavadi Ceremony
Original language description
Across cultures, people participate in demanding religious events that require a high cost in time, money, and often physical energy or pain. Drawing on cognitive theories, we hypothesize that intuitive processes coupled with social affiliation may exaggerate either the perceived costs or benefits of participation, shaping individuals' decisions to engage or abstain. We gathered responses from approximately 400 respondents in Mauritius, focusing on the perceived benefits and costs of engaging in the Kavadi ritual, one of the exemplary cases of costly ritual practices. Their responses provide rich insights into how individuals weigh spiritual, social, and personal rewards against the physical and financial demands of ritual participation. Our analysis pays particular attention to differences in cost-benefit perceptions between in-group (Tamil) and out-group (Christian) participants, revealing how religious affiliation shapes subjective evaluations of ritual participation. By highlighting these perceptual discrepancies, the study sheds light on the broader interplay between belief systems, cognitive biases, and collective practices in human societies.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
O - Miscellaneous
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
60304 - Religious studies
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/GA23-05655S" target="_blank" >GA23-05655S: Signaler psychology: Investigating computations underlying human cooperative communication</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů