Robert Lynch, a postdoctoral fellow in anthropology, says the level of devotion one feels toward religious beliefs can predict how that person likely will interact with members of his own group or with members outside of the group. Lynch’s latest research paper, “Religious Devotion and Extrinsic Religiosity Affect In-group Altruism and Out-group Hostility Oppositely in Rural Jamaica,” published in Evolutionary Psychology Science, suggests that a sincere belief in God—religious devotion—is unrelated to feelings of prejudice. Rather, Lynch’s research finds that those whose religious beliefs are extrinsic—who use religion as a way to achieve non-religious goals such as attaining status or joining a social group—and who regularly attend religious services are more likely to hold hostile attitudes toward outsiders.