Religion is a product of evolutionary and biological processes. Thus, understanding why some people are religious and how it impacts their everyday lives requires an integrated perspective. This review presents a theoretical framework incorporating recent findings on religious influences on the behavioral expression of genetic and psychological predispositions. We propose that religion may facilitate ego dampening, or weakening of the impact of one's internal drive, for the service of sociality. Evidence from gene-environment interaction and behavioral studies suggests that religious beliefs and practices may dampen more prepotent, self-focused motives that can be at odds with cooperation and social cohesion. The review underscores the importance of taking an interdisciplinary perspective to understand complex and fundamental questions about religion.

中文翻译：

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宗教的自我抑制影响：来自行为遗传学和心理学的证据

宗教是进化和生物过程的产物。因此，理解为什么有些人信奉宗教以及它如何影响他们的日常生活需要一个综合的视角。这篇综述提出了一个理论框架，其中结合了最近关于宗教对遗传和心理倾向的行为表达的影响的发现。我们建议宗教可以促进自我抑制，或削弱一个人的内在驱动力的影响，为社会服务。来自基因-环境相互作用和行为研究的证据表明，宗教信仰和实践可能会抑制更有优势的、以自我为中心的动机，这些动机可能与合作和社会凝聚力不一致。