Many scholars have provided evidence to demonstrate that performing rituals alleviates anxiety.

Research on extreme rituals by CSR scholars has enriched the understanding of the biological mechanisms, such as shared physiological arousal, by which they exert effects.

From an evolutionary functionalist perspective, people who perform rituals are wasting their time because rituals do not serve any functions.

According to evolutionary functionalist perspectives, rituals are ultimately a form of communication, where one member of the group says to the others through their participation "I believe in what the group stands for".

From an evolutionary functionalist perspective, rituals help to solve the problem (1) people who reap the benefits of group participation but do not contribute and (2) they serve to enhance cooperation amongst members.

Costly signaling theory suggests that we judge what people say (e.g., "I am a committed member of the group") as more reliable evidence of their commitment to the group than what they do (e.g., participate in a lengthy ritual).

Sosis provided data to suggest that religious communities that impose constraints on their members (e.g., food consumption, gambling etc.) tend to be shorter-lasting than communities that do not impose such constraints.

According to the CRED theory, those who practice what they preach are less likely to spread ideas successfully.

Whitehouse and colleagues argue that in certain rituals, people fuse their identities, which makes them defend group members like members of their family.

Rituals are a form of costly signalling.