scholarly journals The Effects of Collective Ritual on Affect, Unity, and Pro-Sociality: A Naturalistic Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rohan Callander

<p>Anthropologists have long speculated that collective group rituals endure due to their functional capacity to foster co-operation and cohesion within groups and thus help societies to overcome free-rider problems. Recently, experimental studies have provided empirical data to support this hypothesis and have suggested that synchronous group movement as a key element in this process. Further more, recent field studies have suggested that the sacred values surrounding rituals may mediate the synchrony/pro-sociality relationship. The current study aims to further explore the psychological affects of group ritual in terms of positive affect, perceptions of group unity, and pro-sociality in naturalistic settings. Additionally the current study extrapolates out physical arousal and religiosity as important elements of ritual as well as synchronous movement. Our results suggest that the psychological modulations of positive affect, perceived group unity, and pro-sociality in rituals are primarily due to the meaning context within which they are performed. Results have also shown that when used together in a religious context, rituals that use high levels of synchrony and physicality are associated with higher levels of positive affect and co-operation within groups. These findings may help to explain the expansion of charismatic religions in those regions of the world where there are lower levels of security. They also suggest that past laboratory studies of ritual have been limited due to their inability to assess the meaning contexts that may be driving the effects found. Further research is required to assess the rates of endurance of these psychological affects outside of ritualistic settings and also the generalisation of pro-sociality to outgroups. Also, future development of more accurate measures of variables for field use will provide additional strength and reliability within this field.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rohan Callander

<p>Anthropologists have long speculated that collective group rituals endure due to their functional capacity to foster co-operation and cohesion within groups and thus help societies to overcome free-rider problems. Recently, experimental studies have provided empirical data to support this hypothesis and have suggested that synchronous group movement as a key element in this process. Further more, recent field studies have suggested that the sacred values surrounding rituals may mediate the synchrony/pro-sociality relationship. The current study aims to further explore the psychological affects of group ritual in terms of positive affect, perceptions of group unity, and pro-sociality in naturalistic settings. Additionally the current study extrapolates out physical arousal and religiosity as important elements of ritual as well as synchronous movement. Our results suggest that the psychological modulations of positive affect, perceived group unity, and pro-sociality in rituals are primarily due to the meaning context within which they are performed. Results have also shown that when used together in a religious context, rituals that use high levels of synchrony and physicality are associated with higher levels of positive affect and co-operation within groups. These findings may help to explain the expansion of charismatic religions in those regions of the world where there are lower levels of security. They also suggest that past laboratory studies of ritual have been limited due to their inability to assess the meaning contexts that may be driving the effects found. Further research is required to assess the rates of endurance of these psychological affects outside of ritualistic settings and also the generalisation of pro-sociality to outgroups. Also, future development of more accurate measures of variables for field use will provide additional strength and reliability within this field.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine E. Keil ◽  
Terrie Klinger ◽  
Julie E. Keister ◽  
Anna K. McLaskey

Zooplankton can serve as indicators of ecosystem health, water quality, food web structure, and environmental change, including those associated with climate change and ocean acidification (OA). Laboratory studies demonstrate that low pH and high pCO2 associated with OA can significantly affect the physiology and survival of zooplankton, with differential responses among taxa. While laboratory studies can be indicative of zooplankton response to OA, in situ responses will ultimately determine the fate of populations and ecosystems. In this perspective, we compare expectations from experimental studies with observations made in Puget Sound (Washington, United States), a highly dynamic estuary with known vulnerabilities to low pH and high pCO2. We found little association between empirical measures of in situ pH and the abundance of sensitive taxa as revealed by meta-analysis, calling into question the coherence between experimental studies and field observations. The apparent mismatch between laboratory and field studies has important ramifications for the design of long-term monitoring programs and interpretation and use of the data produced. Important work remains to be done to connect traits that are sensitive to OA with those that are ecologically relevant and reliably observable in the field.


1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Wehtje ◽  
J. W. Wilcut ◽  
J. A. McGuire ◽  
T. V. Hicks

Abstract Field studies were conducted over a three year period to examine the sensitivity of four peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars (Florunner, Sunrunner, Southern runner, and NC 7) to foliar applications of paraquat (1, 1′-dimethyl-4, 4′-bipyridinium ion). Treatments included an untreated control and four herbicide treatments: paraquat applied alone at 0.14 and 0.28 kg/ha, or tank mixed with alachlor [2-chloro-N-(2, 6-diethylphenyl)-N-(methoxymethyl)acetamide] at 4.40 kg/ha. Weeds were hand-removed so that only herbicidal treatments were variables. Paraquat phytotoxicity did not differ between cultivars. No cultivar evaluated was abnormally sensitive nor tolerant to any paraquat-containing treatment. Laboratory studies utilizing radio labelled paraquat revealed that foliar absorption and translocation of paraquat did not vary between peanut cultivars. Yield differences were attributed to differences in yield potential between cultivars.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-31
Author(s):  
Rusli Rustam ◽  
Aunu Rauf ◽  
Nina Maryana ◽  
Pudjianto Pudjianto ◽  
Dadang Dadang

Studies on Leafminer Liriomyza spp. in Green Onion Fields, and Parasitoid Opius chromatomyiae Belokobylskij & Wharton (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).  Field studies were conducted to determine population abundance of leafminers and their parasitoids in green onion fields in Puncak, West Java. In addition to that, laboratory studies were carried out to determine demographic parameter of Opius chromatomyiae as well as response of parasitoid to increasing host density. Results revealed that green onions were infested by two species of leafminers, Liriomyza huidobrensis and Liriomyza chinensis.  Leafminer flies emerged from Erwor leaves (54.5) were significantly higher than those of RP leaves (18.65) (P = 0.0005). However, number of  leafminer flies caught on sticky traps was not statistically different (P = 0.297).  Two species of parasitoid, Hemiptarsenus varicornis and O. chromatomyiae, were associated with leafminers in green onion fields. Higher number of parasitoids emerged from Erwor leaves (13.68) as compared to RP (6.90) (P =0.0007 ). However, level of parasitization were 24.36% on Erwor and 28.45% on RP, and was not significantly different (P = 0.387). Laboratory studies indicated that net reproduction (Ro) of O. chromatomyiae was 28.55, generation time (T) 15.96 days, intrinsic growth rate 0.21, and total of reproductive value 223.64.  The stable age distribution of parasitoid were 37.93% eggs, 24.92% larvae, 20.36% pupae and 16.78% adults.  The parasitoid showed functional response type II to increasing host density, with a = 0.08 and Th = 2.58.


2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1682) ◽  
pp. 20140359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Whiten

The complexity of Stone Age tool-making is assumed to have relied upon cultural transmission, but direct evidence is lacking. This paper reviews evidence bearing on this question provided through five related empirical perspectives. Controlled experimental studies offer special power in identifying and dissecting social learning into its diverse component forms, such as imitation and emulation. The first approach focuses on experimental studies that have discriminated social learning processes in nut-cracking by chimpanzees. Second come experiments that have identified and dissected the processes of cultural transmission involved in a variety of other force-based forms of chimpanzee tool use. A third perspective is provided by field studies that have revealed a range of forms of forceful, targeted tool use by chimpanzees, that set percussion in its broader cognitive context. Fourth are experimental studies of the development of flint knapping to make functional sharp flakes by bonobos, implicating and defining the social learning and innovation involved. Finally, new and substantial experiments compare what different social learning processes, from observational learning to teaching, afford good quality human flake and biface manufacture. Together these complementary approaches begin to delineate the social learning processes necessary to percussive technologies within the Pan – Homo clade.


Soil Research ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 1095 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guang-Guo Ying ◽  
Rai Kookana

Degradation of a new insecticide/termiticide, fipronil, in a soil was studied in the laboratory and field. Three metabolites of fipronil (desulfinyl, sulfide, and sulfone derivatives) were identified from soils after treatment. Laboratory studies showed that soil moisture content had a great effect on the degradation rate of fipronil and products formed. High soil moisture contents (>50%) favored the formation of a sulfide derivative of fipronil by reduction, whereas low soil moisture (<50%) and well-aerated conditions favored the formation of fipronil sulfone by oxidation. Microorganisms in soil accelerated the degradation of fipronil to sulfide and sulfone derivatives. The third transformation product, a desulfinyl derivative, was formed by photodecomposition of fipronil in water and on the soil surface under sunlight. The desulfinyl derivative degraded rapidly in field soils with a half-life of 41–55 days compared with an average half-life of 132 days for fipronil. The half-life of the 'total toxic component' (fipronil and its metabolites) in field soil was 188 days on average.


1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 530-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaohu Li ◽  
Robert H. Walker ◽  
Glenn Wehtje ◽  
H. Gary Hancock

Hypocotyl and root length reduction of soybean (Glycine max) seedlings when seeds were exposed to sulfentrazone during germination were used as indices to classify cultivar response to soil-applied sulfentrazone. Seeds of ‘Stonewall’ (sulfentrazone tolerant) and ‘Asgrow 6785’ (sulfentrazone sensitive) were imbibed and allowed to germinate in 0, 1, 5, 10, and 50 ppm aqueous sulfentrazone solutions for 4 d. Hypocotyl and root lengths were reduced in both cultivars, but the reductions were greater for Asgrow 6785 than for Stonewall. Subsequently, the relative sensitivity of 28 cultivars to sulfentrazone was independently determined by two variations of the hypocotyl reduction method (both conducted in the laboratory) and by traditional full-season field evaluation. Results from laboratory and field studies were in agreement for cultivars distinctly sensitive or tolerant to sulfentrazone. However, cultivars with intermediate tolerance in laboratory studies produced variable responses in the field.


Mindfulness ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleg N. Medvedev ◽  
Matti Cervin ◽  
Barbara Barcaccia ◽  
Richard J. Siegert ◽  
Anja Roemer ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Mindfulness, positive affect, and compassion may protect against psychological distress but there is lack of understanding about the ways in which these factors are linked to mental health. Network analysis is a statistical method used to investigate complex associations among constructs in a single network and is particularly suitable for this purpose. The aim of this study was to explore how mindfulness facets, affect, and compassion were linked to psychological distress using network analysis. Methods The sample (n = 400) included equal numbers from general and student populations who completed measures of five mindfulness facets, compassion, positive and negative affect, depression, anxiety, and stress. Network analysis was used to explore the direct associations between these variables. Results Compassion was directly related to positive affect, which in turn was strongly and inversely related to depression and positively related to the observing and describing facets of mindfulness. The non-judgment facet of mindfulness was strongly and inversely related to negative affect, anxiety, and depression, while non-reactivity and acting with awareness were inversely associated with stress and anxiety, respectively. Strong associations were found between all distress variables. Conclusions The present network analysis highlights the strong link between compassion and positive affect and suggests that observing and describing the world through the lens of compassion may enhance resilience to depression. Taking a non-judging and non-reacting stance toward internal experience while acting with awareness may protect against psychological distress. Applicability of these findings can be examined in experimental studies aiming to prevent distress and enhance psychological well-being.


1986 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 677 ◽  
Author(s):  
GR Singleton ◽  
DM Spratt

Pathogenicity of the nematode Capillaria hepatica was assessed in female BALB/c mice in terms of the parasite's effect on natality and on survival of young to weaning. C. hepatica infection in female BALB/c mice maintained under standard laboratory conditions resulted in: a significant delay in production of second litters; a significant reduction in the number of live young born and in the number of live young weaned per female over a 90-day breeding period; a significant reduction in the number of live young weaned per litter; but no marked difference in the number of live young born per litter. Demographic studies and computer simulation models infer that 'mouse plagues' can be suppressed if productivity is maintained below an attainable threshhold. The magnitude of the reduction in 'productivity' caused by C. hepatica, and the slight variation in susceptibility of mouse strains to such infection, support the proposal that strategic use of C. hepatica may prevent formation of 'mouse plagues'. This postulate stems from carefully controlled laboratory studies but now requires confirmation from field studies.


2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Limongi ◽  
Gentile Francesco Ficetola ◽  
Giuseppe Romeo ◽  
Raoul Manenti

Abstract Larval growth and survival of organisms are strongly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, as demonstrated by experimental studies performed under controlled laboratory or semi-natural conditions. Even if they have many advantages, experiments cannot cover the full complexity of natural conditions and field studies are needed for a better understanding of how environmental variation determines growth and development rate. Fire salamander Salamandra salamandra females give birth to larvae in a variety of habitats, both epigean and subterranean. In caves, salamander larvae successfully grow and metamorphose, but their growth is more than three times longer than in epigean streams and factors determining these differences require investigation. We performed a field study to understand the factors related to the growth of fire salamander larvae in different environmental conditions, evaluating the relationship between environmental features and larval growth and differences between caves and epigean spring habitats. Both caves and epigean larvae successfully grew. Capture-mark-recapture allowed to individually track individuals along their whole development, and measure their performance. Growth rate was significantly affected by environmental variables: larvae grew faster in environments with abundant invertebrates and few conspecifics. Taking into account the effect of environmental variables, larval growth was significantly lower in caves. Food availability plays a different effect in the two environments. Larval growth was positively related to the availability of invertebrates in epigean sites only. The development rate of hypogeous populations of salamanders is slower because of multiple parameters, but biotic factors play a much stronger role than the abiotic ones.


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