Mapping the Minds of Spectators During Extreme Ritual: A Psychological Network Perspective

Abstract

\n Reactions of spectators during extreme rituals raise questions about evolutionary functions of ritual. We computed psychological network models during a large naturally occurring extreme ritual. Our aim is to identify the network structure of psychological reactions to extreme rituals in situ. Participants who observed high ordeal activities (N =1,041 Taoist-Buddhists) completed measures of social, affective, behavioral and uncertainty cognitions. Applying undirected psychometric network models, we found that 1) ritualist cognitions showed a smallworld network structure with highly interconnected nodes, 2) five robust clusters of cognitions that 3) can be organized along two major dimensions (positive vs negative valence, uncertainty beliefs vs uncertainty management) and 4) associations between clusters through linking nodes allow integration of previous theories of ritual and help to identify core cognition during ritual. Our study points towards new avenues for evolutionary theory by mapping the interdependence of experienced psychological reactions in situ.