- Three experiments explored the impact of mourning rituals—after losses of loved ones, lovers, and lotteries—on mitigating grief.
- Participants who were directed to reflect on past rituals or who were assigned to complete novel rituals after experiencing losses reported lower levels of grief.
- Increased feelings of control after rituals mediated the link between use of rituals and reduced grief after losses, and the benefits of rituals accrued not only to individuals who professed a belief in rituals' effectiveness but also to those who did not.
- Although the specific rituals in which people engage after losses vary widely by culture and religion—and among our participants—our results suggest a common psychological mechanism underlying their effectiveness: regained feelings of control.
Norton & Gino, 2013. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
