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Bering JM, McLeod K, Shackelford TK. Reasoning about dead agents reveals possible adaptive trends. Hum Nat. 2005;16(4):360-81doi: 10.1007/s12110-005-1015-2.
Bering, J. M., McLeod, K., & Shackelford, T. K. (2005). Reasoning about dead agents reveals possible adaptive trends. Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.), 16(4), 360-81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-005-1015-2
Bering, Jesse M, et al. "Reasoning about dead agents reveals possible adaptive trends." Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.) vol. 16,4 (2005): 360-81. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-005-1015-2
Bering JM, McLeod K, Shackelford TK. Reasoning about dead agents reveals possible adaptive trends. Hum Nat. 2005 Dec;16(4):360-81. doi: 10.1007/s12110-005-1015-2. PMID: 26189837.
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Hum Nat. 2005 Dec;16(4):360-81. doi: 10.1007/s12110-005-1015-2.

Reasoning about dead agents reveals possible adaptive trends.

Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.)

Jesse M Bering, Katrina McLeod, Todd K Shackelford

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Arkansas, 72701, Fayetteville, AR. [email protected].
  2. Department of Psychology, University of Arkansas, 72701, Fayetteville, AR.
  3. Florida Atlantic University, USA.

PMID: 26189837 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-005-1015-2

Abstract

We investigated whether (a) people positively reevaluate the characters of recently dead others and (b) supernatural primes concerning an ambient dead agent serve to curb selfish intentions. In Study 1, participants made trait attributions to three strangers depicted in photographs; one week later, they returned to do the same but were informed that one of the strangers had died over the weekend. Participants rated the decedent target more favorably after learning of his death whereas ratings for the control targets remained unchanged between sessions. This effect was especially pronounced for traits dealing with the decedent's prosocial tendencies (e.g., ethical, kind). In Study 2, a content analysis of obituaries revealed a similar emphasis on decedents' prosocial attributes over other personality dimensions (e.g., achievement-relatedness, social skills). Finally, in Study 3, participants who were told of an alleged ghost in the laboratory were less likely to cheat on a competitive task than those who did not receive this supernatural prime. The findings are interpreted as evidence suggestive of adaptive design.

Keywords: Afterlife; Attribution; Cooperation; Death; Evolutionary theory; Religion; Theory of Mind

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