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Religion & the Dictator Game Online Study
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Description: Does religion promote prosocial behaviour? Despite numerous publications that seem to answer this question affirmatively, divergent results from recent meta-analyses and pre-registered replication efforts suggest the issue is not yet settled. Additional uncertainty lingers around whether (a) the effects of religious cognition on prosocial behaviour obtain through implicit cognitive processes, explicit cognitive processes, or both; and (b) whether religious cognition increases generosity only among people disinclined to share with anonymous strangers. Here we propose two experiments designed to address these concerns. In Experiment 1 we will seek to replicate Shariff and Norenzayan’s demonstration of the effects of implicit religious priming on Dictator Game offers to anonymous strangers; unlike Shariff and Norenzayan, however, we will use an online environment where anonymity is virtually assured. In Experiment 2, we will introduce a “taking” option to allow greater expression of baseline selfishness. In both experiments, we will seek to activate religious cognition implicitly and explicitly. Finally, we will use multiple methods to meta-analyse all available experiments that test the effect of religious priming on Dictator Game transfers. Our results will provide new insight into an important interdisciplinary issue, and guidance on how best to activate religious cognition in the laboratory.