Abstract
In this article, I argue that a class of religious behaviors exists that is induced, for prepared organisms, by specific stimuli that are experienced according to a response-independent schedule. Like other schedule-induced behaviors, the members of this class serve as minimal units out of which functional behavior may arise. In this way, there exist two classes of religious behavior: nonoperant schedule-induced behaviors and operant behaviors. This dichotomy is consistent with the distinction insisted upon by religious scholars and philosophers between “graceful” and “effortful” religious behaviors. Embracing the distinction allows an explanation of many aspects of religious experience and behavior that have been overlooked or disregarded by other scientific approaches to religion.
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I thank Michael Benedict, Matthew Berube, Thomas Brigham, Hank Schlinger, Eric Strand, Bob Wahler, and the anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.
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Strand, P.S. Religion as schedule-induced behavior. BEHAV ANALYST 32, 191–204 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392183
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392183