Attachment and Cooperation in Religious Groups: An Example of a Mechanism for Cultural Group Selection/Comments/Reply

Bowlby proposed that "the psychological problem of ensuring persistent co-operative behavior" in groups was solved by emotional valuation of the group leader, group policy, or the group itself derived from the infant-mother attachment relationship. He described how an emotionally valued re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current anthropology 2009-12, Vol.50 (6), p.759
Main Authors: Weingarten, Carol Popp, Chisholm, James S, Bering, Jesse, Bulbulia, Joseph, Krueger, Frank, King, Barbara J, Kirkpatrick, Lee A, Sosis, Richard, Shaver, John, Winkelman, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cooperation
Cultural anthropology
Religious organizations
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Bowlby proposed that "the psychological problem of ensuring persistent co-operative behavior" in groups was solved by emotional valuation of the group leader, group policy, or the group itself derived from the infant-mother attachment relationship. He described how an emotionally valued relationship with a group leader, which is rooted in early attachments, can motivate an individual to cooperate for the benefit of the group. Here, it is emphasized that Bowlby's insights, studies of attachment relationships with a deity, and the application of multilevel and group selection to cooperation in religious groups together show how attachment to a deity (supernatural agent) could be a mechanism for intragroup cooperation, including the within-group cooperation required for group selection. As such, it links the attachment system, a pillar of human relationships and personality, to cooperation in groups. Also, several comments with a corresponding reply for this anthropological reality, are raised.
ISSN:0011-3204
1537-5382