Parasite stress and pathogen avoidance relate to distinct dimensions of political ideology across 30 nations

Joshua M. Tybur; Yoel Inbar; Lene Aarøe; Pat Barclay; Fiona Kate Barlowe; Mícheál De Barra; D. Vaughn Beckerh; Leah Borovoi; Incheol Choi; Jong An Choik; Nathan S. Consedine; Alan Conway; Jane Rebecca Conway; Paul Conway; Vera Cubela Adoric; Dilara Ekin Demirci; Ana María Fernández; Diogo Conque Seco Ferreirat; Keiko Ishii; Ivana Jakšic; Tingting Ji; Florian Van Leeuwen; David M G Lewis; Norman P. Li; Jason C. McIntyre; Sumitava Mukherjee; Justin H. Park; Boguslaw Pawlowski; Michael Bang Petersen; David Pizarro; Gerasimos Prodromitis; Pavol Prokop; Markus J. Rantala; Lisa M. Reynolds; Bonifacio Sandin; Bariş Sevi; Delphine De Smet; Narayanan Srinivasan; Shruti Tewari; Cameron Wilson; Jose C. Yong; Iris Žezelj

doi:10.1073/pnas.1607398113

Parasite stress and pathogen avoidance relate to distinct dimensions of political ideology across 30 nations

Joshua M. Tybur^*, Yoel Inbar, Lene Aarøe, Pat Barclay, Fiona Kate Barlowe, Mícheál De Barra, D. Vaughn Beckerh, Leah Borovoi, Incheol Choi, Jong An Choik, Nathan S. Consedine, Alan Conway, Jane Rebecca Conway, Paul Conway, Vera Cubela Adoric, Dilara Ekin Demirci, Ana María Fernández, Diogo Conque Seco Ferreirat, Keiko Ishii, Ivana JakšicTingting Ji, Florian Van Leeuwen, David M G Lewis, Norman P. Li, Jason C. McIntyre, Sumitava Mukherjee, Justin H. Park, Boguslaw Pawlowski, Michael Bang Petersen, David Pizarro, Gerasimos Prodromitis, Pavol Prokop, Markus J. Rantala, Lisa M. Reynolds, Bonifacio Sandin, Bariş Sevi, Delphine De Smet, Narayanan Srinivasan, Shruti Tewari, Cameron Wilson, Jose C. Yong, Iris Žezelj

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

People who are more avoidant of pathogens are more politically conservative, as are nations with greater parasite stress. In the current research, we test two prominent hypotheses that have been proposed as explanations for these relationships. The first, which is an intragroup account, holds that these relationships between pathogens and politics are based on motivations to adhere to local norms, which are sometimes shaped by cultural evolution to have pathogenneutralizing properties. The second, which is an intergroup account, holds that these same relationships are based on motivations to avoid contact with outgroups, who might pose greater infectious disease threats than ingroup members. Results from a study surveying 11,501 participants across 30 nations are more consistent with the intragroup account than with the intergroup account. National parasite stress relates to traditionalism (an aspect of conservatism especially related to adherence to group norms) but not to social dominance orientation (SDO; an aspect of conservatism especially related to endorsements of intergroup barriers and negativity toward ethnic and racial outgroups). Further, individual differences in pathogen-avoidance motives (i.e., disgust sensitivity) relate more strongly to traditionalism than to SDO within the 30 nations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	12408-12413
Number of pages	6
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume	113
Issue number	44
Early online date	17 Oct 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1607398113
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2016

Keywords

Culture
Disgust
Evolutionary psychology
Pathogens
Political ideology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1073/pnas.1607398113

Parasite stress and pathogen_TYNER_Publishedonline17October2017_GREEN AAMAccepted author manuscript, 164 KB

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Tybur, J. M., Inbar, Y., Aarøe, L., Barclay, P., Barlowe, F. K., De Barra, M., Beckerh, D. V., Borovoi, L., Choi, I., Choik, J. A., Consedine, N. S., Conway, A., Conway, J. R., Conway, P., Adoric, V. C., Demirci, D. E., Fernández, A. M., Ferreirat, D. C. S., Ishii, K., ... Žezelj, I. (2016). Parasite stress and pathogen avoidance relate to distinct dimensions of political ideology across 30 nations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(44), 12408-12413. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1607398113

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abstract = "People who are more avoidant of pathogens are more politically conservative, as are nations with greater parasite stress. In the current research, we test two prominent hypotheses that have been proposed as explanations for these relationships. The first, which is an intragroup account, holds that these relationships between pathogens and politics are based on motivations to adhere to local norms, which are sometimes shaped by cultural evolution to have pathogenneutralizing properties. The second, which is an intergroup account, holds that these same relationships are based on motivations to avoid contact with outgroups, who might pose greater infectious disease threats than ingroup members. Results from a study surveying 11,501 participants across 30 nations are more consistent with the intragroup account than with the intergroup account. National parasite stress relates to traditionalism (an aspect of conservatism especially related to adherence to group norms) but not to social dominance orientation (SDO; an aspect of conservatism especially related to endorsements of intergroup barriers and negativity toward ethnic and racial outgroups). Further, individual differences in pathogen-avoidance motives (i.e., disgust sensitivity) relate more strongly to traditionalism than to SDO within the 30 nations.",

keywords = "Culture, Disgust, Evolutionary psychology, Pathogens, Political ideology",

author = "Tybur, {Joshua M.} and Yoel Inbar and Lene Aar{\o}e and Pat Barclay and Barlowe, {Fiona Kate} and {De Barra}, M{\'i}che{\'a}l and Beckerh, {D. Vaughn} and Leah Borovoi and Incheol Choi and Choik, {Jong An} and Consedine, {Nathan S.} and Alan Conway and Conway, {Jane Rebecca} and Paul Conway and Adoric, {Vera Cubela} and Demirci, {Dilara Ekin} and Fern{\'a}ndez, {Ana Mar{\'i}a} and Ferreirat, {Diogo Conque Seco} and Keiko Ishii and Ivana Jak{\v s}ic and Tingting Ji and {Van Leeuwen}, Florian and Lewis, {David M G} and Li, {Norman P.} and McIntyre, {Jason C.} and Sumitava Mukherjee and Park, {Justin H.} and Boguslaw Pawlowski and Petersen, {Michael Bang} and David Pizarro and Gerasimos Prodromitis and Pavol Prokop and Rantala, {Markus J.} and Reynolds, {Lisa M.} and Bonifacio Sandin and Bari{\c s} Sevi and {De Smet}, Delphine and Narayanan Srinivasan and Shruti Tewari and Cameron Wilson and Yong, {Jose C.} and Iris {\v Z}ezelj",

year = "2016",

month = nov,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1073/pnas.1607398113",

language = "English",

volume = "113",

pages = "12408--12413",

journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",

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Tybur, JM, Inbar, Y, Aarøe, L, Barclay, P, Barlowe, FK, De Barra, M, Beckerh, DV, Borovoi, L, Choi, I, Choik, JA, Consedine, NS, Conway, A, Conway, JR, Conway, P, Adoric, VC, Demirci, DE, Fernández, AM, Ferreirat, DCS, Ishii, K, Jakšic, I, Ji, T, Van Leeuwen, F, Lewis, DMG, Li, NP, McIntyre, JC, Mukherjee, S, Park, JH, Pawlowski, B, Petersen, MB, Pizarro, D, Prodromitis, G, Prokop, P, Rantala, MJ, Reynolds, LM, Sandin, B, Sevi, B, De Smet, D, Srinivasan, N, Tewari, S, Wilson, C, Yong, JC & Žezelj, I 2016, 'Parasite stress and pathogen avoidance relate to distinct dimensions of political ideology across 30 nations', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 113, no. 44, pp. 12408-12413. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1607398113

TY - JOUR

T1 - Parasite stress and pathogen avoidance relate to distinct dimensions of political ideology across 30 nations

AU - Tybur, Joshua M.

AU - Inbar, Yoel

AU - Aarøe, Lene

AU - Barclay, Pat

AU - Barlowe, Fiona Kate

AU - De Barra, Mícheál

AU - Beckerh, D. Vaughn

AU - Borovoi, Leah

AU - Choi, Incheol

AU - Choik, Jong An

AU - Consedine, Nathan S.

AU - Conway, Alan

AU - Conway, Jane Rebecca

AU - Conway, Paul

AU - Adoric, Vera Cubela

AU - Demirci, Dilara Ekin

AU - Fernández, Ana María

AU - Ferreirat, Diogo Conque Seco

AU - Ishii, Keiko

AU - Jakšic, Ivana

AU - Ji, Tingting

AU - Van Leeuwen, Florian

AU - Lewis, David M G

AU - Li, Norman P.

AU - McIntyre, Jason C.

AU - Mukherjee, Sumitava

AU - Park, Justin H.

AU - Pawlowski, Boguslaw

AU - Petersen, Michael Bang

AU - Pizarro, David

AU - Prodromitis, Gerasimos

AU - Prokop, Pavol

AU - Rantala, Markus J.

AU - Reynolds, Lisa M.

AU - Sandin, Bonifacio

AU - Sevi, Bariş

AU - De Smet, Delphine

AU - Srinivasan, Narayanan

AU - Tewari, Shruti

AU - Wilson, Cameron

AU - Yong, Jose C.

AU - Žezelj, Iris

PY - 2016/11/1

Y1 - 2016/11/1

N2 - People who are more avoidant of pathogens are more politically conservative, as are nations with greater parasite stress. In the current research, we test two prominent hypotheses that have been proposed as explanations for these relationships. The first, which is an intragroup account, holds that these relationships between pathogens and politics are based on motivations to adhere to local norms, which are sometimes shaped by cultural evolution to have pathogenneutralizing properties. The second, which is an intergroup account, holds that these same relationships are based on motivations to avoid contact with outgroups, who might pose greater infectious disease threats than ingroup members. Results from a study surveying 11,501 participants across 30 nations are more consistent with the intragroup account than with the intergroup account. National parasite stress relates to traditionalism (an aspect of conservatism especially related to adherence to group norms) but not to social dominance orientation (SDO; an aspect of conservatism especially related to endorsements of intergroup barriers and negativity toward ethnic and racial outgroups). Further, individual differences in pathogen-avoidance motives (i.e., disgust sensitivity) relate more strongly to traditionalism than to SDO within the 30 nations.

AB - People who are more avoidant of pathogens are more politically conservative, as are nations with greater parasite stress. In the current research, we test two prominent hypotheses that have been proposed as explanations for these relationships. The first, which is an intragroup account, holds that these relationships between pathogens and politics are based on motivations to adhere to local norms, which are sometimes shaped by cultural evolution to have pathogenneutralizing properties. The second, which is an intergroup account, holds that these same relationships are based on motivations to avoid contact with outgroups, who might pose greater infectious disease threats than ingroup members. Results from a study surveying 11,501 participants across 30 nations are more consistent with the intragroup account than with the intergroup account. National parasite stress relates to traditionalism (an aspect of conservatism especially related to adherence to group norms) but not to social dominance orientation (SDO; an aspect of conservatism especially related to endorsements of intergroup barriers and negativity toward ethnic and racial outgroups). Further, individual differences in pathogen-avoidance motives (i.e., disgust sensitivity) relate more strongly to traditionalism than to SDO within the 30 nations.

KW - Culture

KW - Disgust

KW - Evolutionary psychology

KW - Pathogens

KW - Political ideology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84994365871&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1607398113

DO - 10.1073/pnas.1607398113

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84994365871

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 113

SP - 12408

EP - 12413

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

IS - 44

ER -

Parasite stress and pathogen avoidance relate to distinct dimensions of political ideology across 30 nations

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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