Groups imposing costlier requirements attract more committed members

Evidence

Regardless of the precise mechanisms underlying extravagant religious displays, there is mounting evidence that they do contribute to group solidarity, further cementing prosociality in religious groups. For example, sociological analyses show that groups that impose more costly requirements have members who are more committed. For example, Lee Iannacone reports that, controlling for relevant sociodemographic variables, “strict” Protestant and Jewish denominations (Mormons, Orthodox) show higher levels of church and synagogue attendance, respectively, and make more monetary contributions to their religious communities (despite lower average income levels) than less strict ones (Methodist, Reform). — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 346

Categorization

• XREF: Directly relevant to Baumard’s partner-choice model — costly requirements screen for genuine commitment, the mechanism the fumi-e forces on priests. — connects to: Advancing up status tiers requires adopting each tier’s more expensive lifestyle conventions — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 157