The moralization bias of gods’ minds: a cross-cultural test

There are compelling reasons to expect that cognitively representing any active, powerful deity motivates cooperative behavior. One mechanism underlying this association could be a cognitive bias toward generally attributing moral concern anthropomorphic agents. If humans represent the minds of deities and in same way, if human agents conceptualized as having concern, broad tendency attribute concern—a “moralization bias”—to supernatural follows. Using data from 2,228 individuals 15 different field sites, we test for existence such bias. We find people indeed more likely than chance indicate local care about punishing theft, murder, deceit. This effect is stable even after holding beliefs explicitly moralistic constant. Additionally, take close look at collected among Hadza foragers two their morally interested. no evidence suggest due direct missionary contact. posit gods’ minds” part widespread but variable religious phenotype, candidate contributes well-recognized between religion cooperation.