March 2019 PMID 30836871

Moralizing gods, impartiality and religious parochialism across 15 societies.

Martin Lang, Benjamin G Purzycki, Coren L Apicella, Quentin D Atkinson, Alexander Bolyanatz, Emma Cohen, Carla Handley, Eva Kundtová Klocová, Carolyn Lesorogol, Sarah Mathew, Rita A McNamara, Cristina Moya, Caitlyn D Placek, Montserrat Soler, Thomas Vardy

Mentions

40
Peak: 14 in Apr 2020
across 5 sources since Mar 2019

Extended reach

133,032
potential audience

Total likes

176

Video views

1,836

Mentions per month

Mar 2019 – Jun 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter32 posts
  • News3 articles
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Blogs2 articles
  • Bluesky1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions express enthusiasm about how beliefs in monitoring and punishing gods foster cooperation beyond immediate social circles, with users commenting on how the research's evidence from 15 societies makes a compelling case. The tone combines scientific interest with recognition of the societal importance, such as references to expanding social interaction and trust, highlighting how the detailed summaries and favorable language reflect a high level of engagement and perceived significance.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions acknowledge that the research supports the idea that moralizing gods promote broader cooperation, with several explicitly endorsing the findings.

InterestHigh interest

Posts demonstrate strong curiosity, referencing detailed experimental results and linking them to societal implications, indicating high engagement.

EngagementHigh engagement

Users delve into methodological details, cite specific examples from the research, and discuss implications for understanding religious influence, showing deep involvement.

ImpactHigh impact

Many comments recognize the significance of the findings in explaining social cohesion and cooperation across societies, suggesting a high perceived impact.

Abstract in brief

  • The study tests hypotheses about how beliefs in moralizing gods influence cooperation across different societies, including foragers, pastoralists, and religious groups like Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus.
  • Through experiments involving money-sharing games, the research finds that viewing gods as monitoring and punishing correlates with less favoritism toward local groups and greater resource sharing with distant co-religionists.
  • The results suggest that moralizing gods may play a role in promoting cooperation beyond immediate social circles, especially in contexts where intergroup hostility is low, pointing to their influence on expanding social alliances across groups.

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Yudai Tokumasu
@hakusan09 · X

人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t.co/ZCMKd71k6i

Apr 7, 2020 · 47 likes · 17 shares · 697 followers View post →
دومان بهرامی‌راد
@rad1_db · X

4/ مقالۀ مردم‌شناسی Proc Biol Sci: در مقایسه با اعتقادات بدوی به خدایان محلی، اعتقادات دینی به خدای یکتای عالم/قادر مطلق و بهشت/جهنم باعث افزایش همبستگی و همکاری اجتماعی می‌شود: از علتهای احتمالی ظهور جوامع و تمدنهای بزرگ. https://t.co/a7SrWjOg5y https://t.co/5TUDuJo0PE

Jun 1, 2022 · 10 likes · 2,850 followers View post →
Joe Henrich
@JoHenrich · X

Beyond this: our team then takes a series of deep dives into local ethnographic contexts to understand our prosociality experimental task. We published our cross-cultural paper on this in Proc-b: https://t.co/o2uuLW0q4W

Apr 7, 2022 · 4 likes · 3 shares · 24,646 followers View post →
Mil Kio
@KiolMil3050 · X

العصر الهولوسيني (Holocene). وهو العصر الجيولوجي الحالي، بدأ بعد نهاية العصر الجليدي الأخير. في الهولوسين (منذ 11,700 سنة)، انتقل البشر من الصيد والجمع إلى الزراعة وبناء القرى، مما خلق مجتمعات أكبر وأكثر تعقيداً. كيف تمكن البشر من إدارة اعدد كبيرة https://t.co/i16AFmXw0L https://t.co/bpcvDwPqZZ

Jun 22, 2025 · 4 likes · 1 share · 758 followers View post →
lostlanes
@lostlanes11 · X

@visakanv Perhaps the benefits were well spread among people with a common god who could now trust that they were all playing by the same moral rules: https://t.co/L79s9Xgl75 But yes, surprised if the elites did not benefit most from the new order.

Feb 5, 2021 · 3 likes · 2 followers View post →
Nick Byrd, Ph.D.
@byrd_nick · X

Sharing varied based on perceptions of god. Over 2000 people from 15 societies and 5+ religions showed less local favoritism and shared more resources with distant co-religionists (in allocation games) if they viewed gods as monitoring, punishing agents. https://t.co/HWuh7Vz1uU

Mar 22, 2019 · 1 like · 3,493 followers View post →

All mentions

Mil Kio
@KiolMil3050 · X

RT @KiolMil3050: العصر الهولوسيني (Holocene). وهو العصر الجيولوجي الحالي، بدأ بعد نهاية العصر الجليدي الأخير. في الهولوسين (منذ 11,700 سنة…

Jun 22, 2025 · 1 share · 758 followers View post →
Mil Kio
@KiolMil3050 · X

العصر الهولوسيني (Holocene). وهو العصر الجيولوجي الحالي، بدأ بعد نهاية العصر الجليدي الأخير. في الهولوسين (منذ 11,700 سنة)، انتقل البشر من الصيد والجمع إلى الزراعة وبناء القرى، مما خلق مجتمعات أكبر وأكثر تعقيداً. كيف تمكن البشر من إدارة اعدد كبيرة https://t.co/i16AFmXw0L https://t.co/bpcvDwPqZZ

Jun 22, 2025 · 4 likes · 1 share · 758 followers View post →
Jeffrey G. Snodgrass
@GodfreySnorgyrs · X

RT @JoHenrich: Beyond this: our team then takes a series of deep dives into local ethnographic contexts to understand our prosociality expe…

Jul 17, 2022 · 3 shares · 763 followers View post →
دومان بهرامی‌راد
@rad1_db · X

4/ مقالۀ مردم‌شناسی Proc Biol Sci: در مقایسه با اعتقادات بدوی به خدایان محلی، اعتقادات دینی به خدای یکتای عالم/قادر مطلق و بهشت/جهنم باعث افزایش همبستگی و همکاری اجتماعی می‌شود: از علتهای احتمالی ظهور جوامع و تمدنهای بزرگ. https://t.co/a7SrWjOg5y https://t.co/5TUDuJo0PE

Jun 1, 2022 · 10 likes · 2,850 followers View post →
Hosaary
@BrunoMascella · X

RT @JoHenrich: Beyond this: our team then takes a series of deep dives into local ethnographic contexts to understand our prosociality expe…

Apr 8, 2022 · 3 shares · 72 followers View post →
Geography of Philosophy Project
@gophilosophy_ · X

RT @JoHenrich: Beyond this: our team then takes a series of deep dives into local ethnographic contexts to understand our prosociality expe…

Apr 7, 2022 · 3 shares · 997 followers View post →
Joe Henrich
@JoHenrich · X

Beyond this: our team then takes a series of deep dives into local ethnographic contexts to understand our prosociality experimental task. We published our cross-cultural paper on this in Proc-b: https://t.co/o2uuLW0q4W

Apr 7, 2022 · 4 likes · 3 shares · 24,646 followers View post →
Damien Marie AtHope Ⓐ
@AthopeMarie · X

@wayneborean @robertosaezm @EskimoInAfrica https://t.co/1Rvmwc0uXk

Oct 27, 2021 · 10,363 followers View post →
MY NAME IS JEFF
@Audimaster · X

@CrusherAtheist Something like this is not really all that useful. I found a few that by using questions could create data or scale of religion. R/S Religious/Spiritual in another study Moralizing gods, impartiality and religious parochialism across 15 societies https://t.co/91VicSDtPB

Jul 17, 2021 · 649 followers View post →
lostlanes
@lostlanes11 · X

@visakanv Perhaps the benefits were well spread among people with a common god who could now trust that they were all playing by the same moral rules: https://t.co/L79s9Xgl75 But yes, surprised if the elites did not benefit most from the new order.

Feb 5, 2021 · 3 likes · 2 followers View post →
Adam Kenny
@kennyanthropus · X

@amma_panin To add to the great suggestions so far, some with a moral/religious dimension: - https://t.co/mgi3akN96q - https://t.co/qvlSrang5W And another involving children: - https://t.co/9voChW7T5l

Oct 2, 2020 · 1 like · 175 followers View post →
Alexander Mackiel
@ajmackiel · X

7. This was later supported by a replication and extension using more cultures and an additional behavioral economic game: https://t.co/JOTxRqi5Iw https://t.co/gct8KkPHOZ

Jul 27, 2020 · 1 like · 979 followers View post →
無茶王
@1yamamon · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 10, 2020 · 17 shares · 944 followers View post →
Kasshini@なんでも垢 RiCE
@Kasshini_Gnade · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 10, 2020 · 17 shares · 15,593 followers View post →
昨日今日明日佳
@shine_gloria · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 10, 2020 · 17 shares · 1,216 followers View post →
syuhuhaha
@syuhuhaha · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 9, 2020 · 17 shares · 984 followers View post →
十勝餡粒々
@tubuann_only · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 9, 2020 · 17 shares · 2,624 followers View post →
桜咲⛩
@otomohiro · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 9, 2020 · 17 shares · 1,052 followers View post →
柵檻
@SAKUOLI · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 9, 2020 · 17 shares · 3,315 followers View post →
エボサイ(EvoPsy)
@selfcomestomine · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 9, 2020 · 17 shares · 30,731 followers View post →
Masato ONOUE
@9w9w9w9 · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 7, 2020 · 17 shares · 729 followers View post →
進歩史観
@Toy_Agent · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 7, 2020 · 17 shares · 72 followers View post →
ごんごん
@gongonKS · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 7, 2020 · 17 shares · 3,299 followers View post →
atsuko saito
@oneko45 · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 7, 2020 · 17 shares · 849 followers View post →
類美豚
@taguibibuta · X

RT @hakusan09: 人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t…

Apr 7, 2020 · 17 shares · 165 followers View post →
Yudai Tokumasu
@hakusan09 · X

人類はなぜ大規模な協力関係を築けるかを15個の社会で調査。人々を監視し、ルールに反した者に罰を与えるような、道徳を司る神の存在により、人々は地方びいきをやめ、遠い場所の同じ宗教を信じる人へ資源を分配するようになるよ。2019年。 https://t.co/ZCMKd71k6i

Apr 7, 2020 · 47 likes · 17 shares · 697 followers View post →
David Navratil
@DavidDnavratil · X

Trestající bůh socializuje: "we found that higher ratings of gods as monitoring and punishing predicted decreased local favouritism and increased resource-sharing with distant co-religionists." https://t.co/hE2yrzrdFT https://t.co/0BlDu6PB1s

May 23, 2019 · 17,403 followers View post →
Nick Byrd, Ph.D.
@byrd_nick · X

@judystout1 In line with previous work suggesting that “moralizing gods may be implicated in cooperative behaviour toward outgroups [and] that beliefs in monitoring and punitive gods help expand the circle of sustainable social interaction”. https://t.co/4MtB4l887t

Apr 12, 2019 · 3,493 followers View post →
Damian Ruck
@damianjruck · X

New paper from @martinlangcz, @BGPurzycki, @corenapicella, @DrQueue and others. Economic games show that big moralizing Gods expand the scope of parochial cooperation, permitting large scale cooperation. https://t.co/N8eO67A5Ve

Mar 26, 2019 · 260 followers View post →
Nick Byrd, Ph.D.
@byrdnick.com · Bluesky

agents. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2019.0202

Mar 22, 2019 View post →
Nick Byrd, Ph.D.
@byrd_nick · X

Sharing varied based on perceptions of god. Over 2000 people from 15 societies and 5+ religions showed less local favoritism and shared more resources with distant co-religionists (in allocation games) if they viewed gods as monitoring, punishing agents. https://t.co/HWuh7Vz1uU

Mar 22, 2019 · 1 like · 3,493 followers View post →
Anthony C. Lopez
@EvoPolitics · X

"These results provide support for the hypothesis that beliefs in monitoring and punitive gods help expand the circle of sustainable social interaction, and open questions about the treatment of religious outgroups." https://t.co/osBmQNg8Tb

Mar 7, 2019 · 278 followers View post →
Gunnar
@evolveon · X

Almost read 'puny' gods...How belief in punitive gods may have helped large societies cooperate https://t.co/eXVHuNhquN paper here:https://t.co/bbOpBstIzr #religion #morality #society #cooperation

Mar 7, 2019 · 433 followers View post →
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