I'm interested in evolutionary and psychological theories of delusions, self-deception, self-esteem, religion and morality. Research questions include the following:

* How can we explain the formation and maintenance of delusions (e.g., the belief that one’s wife has been replaced by an impostor, or that one is dead)?
* To what extent are false beliefs biologically and/or psychologically adaptive?
* Are ‘self-deceptive’ individuals better at deceiving others?
* Does religious belief increase prosocial behaviour (e.g., charitable giving, punishment of selfish individuals)?
* Are rituals for atonement and absolution (e.g., Catholic confession, Jewish Yom Kippur) effective mechanisms for addressing the moral transgressions of group members?
* What is the relative importance for moral behaviour of a) conscience and b) concern for one’s reputation?
* To what extent are religious and atheistic beliefs held ‘defensively’?

For more information see my personal webpage

** I'm currently working on a large international project entitled "Ritual, Community & Conflict" (see http://www.cam.ox.ac.uk/ritual/). Ritualistic behaviour represents one of the most powerful mechanisms by which groups are formed, inspired, and coordinated. Our objective is to identify the key elements of ritual that are effective in generating intense ingroup cohesion and outgroup hostility.