Research team looking to prove controversial theory that religion was the ‘cornerstone to civilizati [View all]

VANCOUVER – Seven years ago, social psychologist Ara Norenzayan gathered 125 participants at the University of British Columbia, asked them to solve a word puzzle and then handed them $10 with instructions to share it with a stranger.

As expected, some participants kept the whole sum and some split it 50-50 — but the surprising thing was how easily their generosity could be moulded by the subtleties of the word puzzle.

Participants who completed a puzzle peppered with religious words, such as “spirit,” “God” or “prophet,” largely decided to split the cash. Participants with neutral word puzzles, meanwhile, barely shared at all.

http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/12/21/research-team-looking-to-prove-controversial-theory-that-religion-was-the-cornerstone-to-civilizations/