Activation of the Behavioral Immune System: Putting the Brakes on Affiliation

Evolutionary psychologists propose that humans evolved a first line of defense against pathogens: the behavioral immune system (BIS). The BIS is thought to be functionally flexible such that the likelihood and magnitude of BIS activation depends on the individual’s perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD). Because conspecifics are sources of infection, the BIS has implications for affiliation. By priming and measuring chronic levels of PVD, we examined PVD’s relation to affiliation in zero-acquaintance situations in the laboratory, online, and during speed-dating events. Elevated BIS activation was associated with decreased attraction and affiliative behavior in situations that varied in the trade-off between social reward and potential risk of infection. These results were not due to attachment style, personality traits, or disgust sensitivity. This suggests that in social interactions, approach motivation associated with the need to belong may be weighed against avoidance motivation associated with the need to protect the self from disease.

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UNPUBLISHED, REJECTED MANUSCRIPT NOT TO BE RESUBMITTED: Infection and ideology- Perceived vulnerability to disease predicts political conservatism

10.31234/osf.io/6ag92 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Joseph A Vitriol

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

The Political ◽

World Values Survey ◽

Perceived Vulnerability ◽

Behavioral Immune System ◽

The World ◽

Political Conservatism ◽

Perceived Vulnerability To Disease ◽

Political Right

Recent research on the behavioral immune system suggests that perceived vulnerability to disease is associated with greater ingroup preference, conformity, and support for established cultural practices. However, little of this research has looked at the implications of perceived vulnerability to disease for an orientation linked to many of the above outcomes: ideology. In two studies, we test the hypothesis that perceived vulnerability to disease should be associated with greater political conservatism. In Study 1, we find a relationship between perceived vulnerability to disease and increases in conservatism over time. In Study 2, we use data from the World Values Survey to demonstrate that perceived vulnerability to disease predicts a stronger preference for the political right in a large sample of respondents from a wide variety of nations. Together, these results suggest that the consequences of the behavioral immune system may extend to abstract identifications like ideology.

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Generalized or Origin-Specific Out-Group Prejudice?: The Role of Temporary and Chronic Pathogen-Avoidance Motivation in Intergroup Relations

Evolutionary Psychology ◽

10.1177/1474704919826851 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 147470491982685 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Tingting Ji ◽

Joshua M. Tybur ◽

Mark van Vugt

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Individual Differences ◽

Disgust Sensitivity ◽

Total N ◽

Behavioral Immune System ◽

Avoidance Motivation ◽

Negative Effect ◽

The Individual ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Pathogen Avoidance

Researchers have proposed that intergroup prejudice is partially caused by behavioral immune system mechanisms. Across four studies (total N = 1,849), we used both experimental (pathogen priming) and individual differences (pathogen disgust sensitivity [PDS]) approaches to test whether the behavioral immune system influences prejudice toward immigrants indiscriminately (the generalized out-group prejudice hypothesis) or specifically toward immigrants from a pathogen-rich ecology (the origin-specific out-group prejudice hypothesis). Internal meta-analyses lend some support to both hypotheses. At the experimental level, pathogen primes had no effect on attitudes toward origin-unspecified immigrants or immigrants from a pathogen-rich ecology. At the individual differences level, PDS has a unique negative effect on comfort with immigrants from pathogen-rich ecologies but not on comfort with immigrants from unspecified ecologies. However, pathogen disgust sensitivity was negatively related to the decision to allow entry to both origin-unspecified immigrants and immigrants from a pathogen-rich ecology.

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Individual Differences in Pathogen Avoidance Motivation Vary as a Function of Control over Pathogen Exposure and Basal Immunological Activity

10.31219/osf.io/rckh3 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

TCU Hill Lab

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Disgust Sensitivity ◽

Immunological Activity ◽

Avoidance Motivation ◽

Immune System Function ◽

System P ◽

Sources Of Infection ◽

Pathogen Avoidance ◽

Pathogen Exposure

Disgust and the immune system function as protections against the persistent threat of pathogen presence. However, the degree to which individuals invest in pathogen-avoidance (i.e., disgust) versus pathogen-management (i.e., the immune system) strategies should vary based on one’s ability to exercise control over their contact with potential sources of infection. We test this hypothesis across four studies. Findings reveal that when perceived or experimentally manipulated ability to control pathogen exposure was low, individuals exhibited decreased disgust sensitivity. Moreover, lower perceived control over pathogen exposure predicted higher basal immunological activity, which in turn predicted decreased behavioral efforts to avoid potentially pathogenic stimuli. Findings further reveal that inhibiting basal inflammatory activity (via aspirin administration) leads to a compensatory increase in disgust sensitivity, providing evidence for a causal relationship between these two variables. By providing novel insights into how one’s control over pathogen exposure influences disgust sensitivity and immune system activity, the current research poses an important contribution to the literature on disgust, pathogen avoidance, and the immune system.

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The Role of Age and Gender in Perceived Vulnerability to Infectious Diseases

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17020485 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 485 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Amelia Díaz ◽

Ángela Beleña ◽

Jesús Zueco

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Age Groups ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Perceived Vulnerability ◽

Behavioral Immune System ◽

Biological Immune System ◽

And Gender ◽

Perceived Vulnerability To Disease ◽

System Variables

Background: The study of the immune system has been approached using two separate paths, the biological immune system and the behavioral immune system. Recently, Gangestad and Grebe proposed a unique integrated compensatory immune system, where both systems work together and one of them could compensate for the other when necessary. However, few studies have confirmed the existence of this integrated compensatory immune system. Our study represents an attempt to explore the existence of this unique immune system, investigating if the behavioral immune system variables increase when the biological immune system weakens with age. Material and Methods. The cross-sectional design study was made up of a final sample of 1108 participants (45.2% men and 54.2 women) aged 18–64 years. The younger group (18–21 years) was made up of students, whilst the older groups (22 to 64 years) were composed by their relatives and acquaintances, following the snow ball process. The participants completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire that assesses perceived infectability and germ aversion. Correlations, analyses of variance (ANOVAs), and independent group comparisons were performed. These analyses showed the relationships between the variables studied, the effects of age and gender in perceived infectability and germ aversion, and the differences that perceived infectability and germ aversion presented in different age-groups separated by gender. Results: A pattern emerged where germ aversion increases as both men and women get older, but perceived infectability decreases up to the age of 50, and then it increases in women from that age onward. Gender differences are only significant in younger participants, with women having higher scores than men in both variables. Conclusion: The results partially support the existence of a unique integrated compensatory biological/behavioral immune system.

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Behavioral Immune System Responses to Coronavirus: A Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory Explanation of Conformity, Warmth Toward Others and Attitudes Toward Lockdown

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.566237 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Alison M. Bacon ◽

Philip J. Corr

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Immune System ◽

Social Norms ◽

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory ◽

Perceived Vulnerability ◽

Behavioral Immune System ◽

Sensitivity Theory ◽

Reinforcement Sensitivity ◽

Approach Behaviors ◽

Perceived Vulnerability To Disease

Behavioral immune system (BIS) describes psychological mechanisms that detect cues to infectious pathogens in the immediate environment, trigger disease-relevant responses and facilitate behavioral avoidance/escape. BIS activation elicits a perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) which can result in conformity with social norms. However, a response to superficial cues can result in aversive responses to people that pose no actual threat, leading to an aversion to unfamiliar others, and likelihood of prejudice. Pathogen-neutralizing behaviors, therefore, have implications for social interaction as well as illness behaviors and responses to health communications. In this study, we investigate how PVD influences conformity, attitudes to other people and to lockdown regulations through the lens of the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST). RST describes personality in terms of biologically-driven approach and avoidance motivations which support personal goals. Participants from the United Kingdom public (N = 605) completed an RST personality questionnaire and then read either (a) coronavirus morbidity-mortality statistics and current United Kingdom government lifestyle regulations, (b) just the regulations (as presented in most government publicity materials), or (c) no information at all. They all completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease scale to assess BIS-relevant Germ Aversion and Perceived Infectability, followed by questions measuring social conformity, warmth toward others and attitudes toward lockdown measures. Significantly lower PVD scores were observed in the no-information condition, with the other conditions showing no difference. In terms of RST, approach behaviors related to goal-drive persistence work alongside fear in explaining conformity to social norms. Reward related approach behaviors partially explained warmth toward others, indicating that social rewards gained through interaction continue to be strong drivers of behavior. We found no role for RST traits in attitudes toward lockdown. Overall, coronavirus-related behavior is not driven purely by fear, but also by social and/or protection goals regulated by approach motivation. This study presents new insights into public perceptions of coronavirus and government regulated lifestyle restrictions, helping to explain social behaviors in terms of biologically driven mechanisms. Such understanding is vital if we are to successfully motivate public behavior to constrain spread of the virus.

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Testing the Disgust-Based Mechanism of Homonegative Attitudes in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647881 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Aleksandra Szymkow ◽

Natalia Frankowska ◽

Katarzyna Galasinska

Keyword(s):

System Theory ◽

Immune System ◽

Defense Mechanisms ◽

Negative Attitudes ◽

Perceived Vulnerability ◽

Behavioral Immune System ◽

Functional Flexibility ◽

Sexual Disgust ◽

Perceived Vulnerability To Disease

Negative attitudes and stigmatization can originate from the perception of a disease-related threat. Following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is often suggested that incidents of discriminatory behavior are the result of defense mechanisms aimed at avoiding pathogens. According to the behavioral immune system theory, people are motivated to distance themselves from individuals who show signs of infection, or who are only heuristically associated with a disease, primarily because of the disgust they evoke. In this paper we focus on negative attitudes toward gay men and lesbians who are among social groups that have been persistently framed as “unclean.” In our correlational study (N = 500 heterosexual participants; Polish sample data collected during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Poland, in March/April 2020) we tested moderation models derived from the behavioral immune system theory. Specifically, we investigated whether perceived vulnerability to disease and perceived threat of contracting COVID-19 moderate the relation between disgust and homonegativity. We found that sexual disgust (but not pathogen nor moral disgust) predicted homonegative attitudes. This effect was stronger for participants expressing higher levels of perceived vulnerability to disease but was not dependent on the perception of the COVID-19 threat. The results reaffirm previous evidence indicating a pivotal role of disgust in disease-avoidance mechanisms. They also point to functional flexibility of the behavioral immune system by demonstrating the moderating role of perceived vulnerability to disease in shaping homonegative attitudes. Finally, they show that the threat of COVID-19 does not strengthen the relationship between disgust and homonegativity.

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Behavioral immune system linked to responses to the threat of COVID-19

10.31234/osf.io/6dq3g ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anastasia Makhanova ◽

Melissa A. Shepherd

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Grocery Shopping ◽

Psychological Processes ◽

Perceived Vulnerability ◽

Behavioral Immune System ◽

Face To Face ◽

Perceived Vulnerability To Disease ◽

Pathogen Avoidance ◽

Big 5 Personality

People possess psychological processes that help them avoid pathogens, which is particularly important when novel infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19) spread through the population. Across two studies we examined whether trait pathogen avoidance (operationalized as perceived vulnerability to disease; PVD) was linked with responses to COVID-19 and preventative behaviors. In Study 1, PVD was positively associated with stronger reactions to the threat of COVID-19, including increased anxiety, perceptions that people should alter their typical behavior, as well as reported importance of engaging in proactive and social distancing behaviors. In Study 2, PVD was again associated with increased anxiety, as well as more vigilant behavior when grocery shopping, fewer trips to the store, and fewer face-to-face interactions. These associations remained significant when controlling for the Big-5 personality traits. Although the two subscales of PVD (germ aversion and perceived infectability) were often parallel predictors, several differences between the subscales emerged. Germ aversion may be more associated with behaviors whereas perceived infectability with vigilance.

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Aberrant aggressive behavior in a mouse model of Angelman syndrome

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-79984-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lilach Simchi ◽

Hanoch Kaphzan

Keyword(s):

Social Behavior ◽

Mouse Model ◽

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Social Interactions ◽

Angelman Syndrome ◽

Case Reports ◽

Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Affiliative Behavior ◽

Severe Difficulty

AbstractAngelman syndrome (AS) is a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder due to the absence of the E3-ligase protein, UBE3A. Inappropriate social interactions, usually hyper-sociability, is a part of that syndrome. In addition, clinical surveys and case reports describe aggressive behavior in AS individuals as a severe difficulty for caretakers. A mouse model for AS recapitulates most of the human AS phenotypes. However, very few studies utilized this mouse model for investigating affiliative social behavior, and not even a single study examined aggressive behavior. Hence, the aim of the herein study was to examine affiliative and aggressive social behavior. For that, we utilized a battery of behavioral paradigms, and performed detailed analyses of these behaviors. AS mice exhibited a unique characteristic of reduced habituation towards a social stimulus in comparison to their wild-type (WT) littermates. However, overall there were no additional marked differences in affiliative social behavior. In contrast to the mild changes in affiliative behavior, there was a striking enhanced aggression in the AS mice compared to their WT littermates. The herein findings emphasize the use of AS mouse model in characterizing and measuring inappropriate aggressive behavior, and suggests these as tools for investigating therapeutic interventions aimed at attenuating aggressive behavior.

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