1
|
Ridge RD, Hawk CE, Hartvigsen LD, McCombs LD. To meme or not to meme? Political social media posts and ideologically motivated aggression in job recommendations. THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024:1-18. [PMID: 38417453 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2024.2316619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
This study tested the notion of ideological asymmetry, which proposes that conservatives are more prejudiced than liberals. It involved 682 self-identified conservative (n = 383) and liberal (n = 299) perceivers (MTurk workers; 54% female) who evaluated a target person's professional attributes, personal character, and job suitability based on the target's social media posts. The results did not support ideological asymmetry as both conservative and liberal participants negatively evaluated an ideologically opposite target. Interestingly, liberals showed three times more bias than conservatives. This study better supports a worldview conflict hypothesis, an alternative to ideological asymmetry, with both sides showing indirect aggression in an apolitical setting.
Collapse
|
2
|
Wendell DG, Tatalovich R. Status politics is the origin of morality policy. Politics Life Sci 2023; 42:306-315. [PMID: 37987574 DOI: 10.1017/pls.2023.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
After drawing a distinction between "class" and "status," an early but short-lived sociological literature on status politics is reviewed. That approach has lost favor, but moral foundations theory (MFT) offers a new opportunity to link morality policy to status politics. While any of the five moral foundations (care, fairness, loyalty, authority, sanctity) can provoke conflict over status, most often sanctity is the cause of status politics because it engages the emotion of disgust. Disgust drives the behavioral immune system, which prevents us from being infected by contaminants in tainted food or by "outsiders" who are perceived to follow unconventional practices. This research note concludes by referencing 20 empirical studies in which feelings of disgust targeted certain groups or practices in society (i.e., immigrants, criminals, abortion). Thus, status politics is the origin of morality policy.
Collapse
|
3
|
Makhanova A, Lambert WA, Blanchard R, Alcock J, Shattuck EC, Wilson MP. Pathogen disgust is associated with interpersonal bias among healthcare professionals. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:438-447. [PMID: 38022797 PMCID: PMC10667654 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Pathogen avoidance is a fundamental motive that shapes many aspects of human behavior including bias against groups stereotypically linked to disease (e.g. immigrants, outgroup members). This link has only been examined in convenience samples and it is unknown how pathogen avoidance processes operate in populations experiencing prolonged and heightened pathogen threat such as healthcare professionals. We examined whether healthcare professionals demonstrate the same link between pathogen disgust and intergroup bias as has been documented among the general population. Methodology Participants (N = 317; 210 healthcare professionals) were recruited using snowball sampling to take an online survey. Participants completed the Three Domain Disgust Scale to assess pathogen, sexual and moral disgust. Participants then rated their perceptions of a fictitious immigrant group ('Krasneeans') and the degree to which they endorsed group-binding moral values. Results Compared to control participants, healthcare professionals reported lower levels of pathogen disgust, but not sexual or moral disgust. However, regardless of profession, higher pathogen disgust was associated with viewing Krasneeans as less likeable and more unclean. Additionally, regardless of profession, higher pathogen disgust was associated with greater endorsement of group-binding moral values, although healthcare professionals reported greater overall endorsement of group-binding moral values than did control participants. Conclusions and implications Although healthcare professionals demonstrated lower levels of pathogen disgust, they nevertheless exhibited largely the same relationship between pathogen disgust and interpersonal biases as did control participants. One practical implication of this association is that pathogen avoidance motives may contribute to inequitable patient treatment in healthcare settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Makhanova
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - W Allen Lambert
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Ryan Blanchard
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Joe Alcock
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131, USA
| | - Eric C Shattuck
- Department of Anthropology, Florida State University, 60 N Woodward Ave, Tallahassee FL 32304, USA
- Institute for Health Disparities Research, College for Health, Community, and Policy, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Michael P Wilson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham St, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Terrizzi JA, Pond RS, Shannon TCJ, Koopman ZK, Reich JC. How does disgust regulate social rejection? a mini-review. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1141100. [PMID: 37397339 PMCID: PMC10313072 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1141100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The need to belong is a fundamental aspect of human nature. Over the past two decades, researchers have uncovered many harmful effects of social rejection. However, less work has examined the emotional antecedents to rejection. The purpose of the present article was to explore how disgust--an emotion linked to avoidance and social withdrawal--serves as an important antecedent to social rejection. We argue that disgust affects social rejection through three routes. First, disgust encourages stigmatization, especially of those who exhibit cues of infectious disease. Second, disgust and disease-avoidance give rise to cultural variants (e.g., socially conservative values and assortative sociality), which mitigate social interaction. Third, when the self is perceived as a source of contamination, it promotes shame, which, subsequently, encourages withdrawal from social interaction. Directions for future research are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A. Terrizzi
- Department of Psychology, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX, United States
| | - Richard S. Pond
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Trevor C. J. Shannon
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Zachary K. Koopman
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Jessica C. Reich
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hodson G, Meleady R. Ideologically‐based contact avoidance during a pandemic: Blunt or selective distancing from ‘others’? EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Hodson
- Department of Psychology Brock University St. Catharines Ontario Canada
- Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice (FPAC) Programme Brock University St. Catharines Ontario Canada
| | - Rose Meleady
- School of Psychology University of East Anglia Norwich England
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Landy JF, Rottman J, Batres C, Leimgruber KL. Disgusting Democrats and Repulsive Republicans: Members of Political Outgroups Are Considered Physically Gross. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2023; 49:361-375. [PMID: 34964418 DOI: 10.1177/01461672211065923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The status of disgust as a sociomoral emotion is debated. We conducted a stringent test of whether social stimuli (specifically, political outgroup members) can elicit physical disgust, as distinct from moral or metaphorical disgust. We employed stimuli (male faces) matched on baseline disgustingness, provided other ways for participants to express negativity toward outgroup members, and used concrete self-report measures of disgust, as well as a nonverbal measure (participants' facial expressions). Across three preregistered studies (total N = 915), we found that political outgroup members are judged to be "disgusting," although this effect is generally weaker for concrete self-report measures and absent for the nonverbal measure. This suggests that social stimuli are capable of eliciting genuine physical disgust, although it is not always outwardly expressed, and the strength of this result depends on the measures employed. We discuss implications of these results for research on sociomoral emotions and American politics.
Collapse
|
7
|
Leota J, Simpson D, Mazidi D, Nash K. Purity, politics, and polarization: Political ideology moderates threat‐induced shifts in moral purity beliefs. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 62:806-824. [PMID: 36344880 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
There is considerable research showing that economic threat influences people's social and political views. There are two prevailing perspectives on threat and political attitudes, broadly defined as the Conservative Shift Hypothesis and the Entrenching Hypothesis. The former predicts that threat induces change in the conservative direction (for both conservatives and liberals), whereas the latter predicts that threat causes people to adhere more strongly to their prexisting political perspective. In two experimental studies (one pre-registered replication), we find evidence in support of the Entrenching Hypothesis. Conservatives responded to Economic Threat with increased endorsement of the conservative moral foundation Purity, whereas liberals responded to Economic Threat with decreased endorsement of the Purity foundation. Economic Threat appears to increase commitment to one's pre-existing political ideology and not conservatism specifically. Implications for psychological theory and future directions are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josh Leota
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences Monash University Victoria Melbourne Australia
- University of Alberta Alberta Edmonton Canada
| | | | | | - Kyle Nash
- University of Alberta Alberta Edmonton Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Aguiar F, Corradi G, Aguilar P. Ageing and disgust: Is old age associated with harsher moral judgements? CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03423-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
9
|
Luberti FR, Blake KR, Brooks RC. Widespread Promiscuity and Cheap Weddings: Can "Low-Value" Sexual Relationships Make Certain Individuals More Sexually Conservative? ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:2791-2811. [PMID: 35552934 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02216-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Attitudes toward sexual relationships can have evolutionary underpinnings because these attitudes often serve, or at least reflect, the attitude holder's mating self-interest. Sexually restricted individuals, for example, hold conservative attitudes toward same-sex and opposite-sex sexual relationships because conservative attitudes benefit their mating strategies (e.g., monogamy). Certain mating market cues, however, can shift attitudes. In two experiments recruiting Americans and Australians (total N = 1298), we took a data-driven approach to test whether experimental manipulations of (1) promiscuity among either homosexuals (gays and lesbians) or heterosexuals and (2) the financial amount that either homosexuals (gays and lesbians) or heterosexuals invest in weddings would shift attitudes toward same-sex marriage, dating, and romantic spending. In Experiment 1, we did not replicate previous findings that homosexual promiscuity affects attitudes to same-sex marriage, nor did we find any effects of priming heterosexual promiscuity. However, priming participants with the notion that either homosexuals or heterosexuals were highly promiscuous increased support for traditional relationship norms among sexually restricted Australian (but not American) men. This effect was smaller when we controlled for participant sexual orientation, because primes of high homosexual or heterosexual promiscuity increased support for these traditional norms in exclusively heterosexual Australians, but decreased support in non-heterosexual Australians. Experiment 2 found that American and Australian men's opposition to same-sex marriage increased when they were led to believe that either homosexual or heterosexual weddings were cheap, even when controlling for participant sexual orientation. Overall, results provide some support for the argument that mating market cues affect attitudes toward sexual relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca R Luberti
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, Room A223-A, 100 College Drive, North Bay, ON, P1B 8L7, Canada.
| | - Khandis R Blake
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Robert C Brooks
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Chamorro Coneo AM, Navarro MC, Quiroz Molinares N. Sexual-specific disgust sensitivity mechanisms in homonegativity and transnegativity; the mediating role of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA). PSYCHOLOGY & SEXUALITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2022.2100270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|
11
|
de Barros AC, Sadika B, Croteau TA, Morrison MA, Morrison TG. Associations between subcategories of disgust sensitivity and homonegativity: examining intergroup contact as a moderator. PSYCHOLOGY & SEXUALITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2022.2090270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bidushy Sadika
- Psychology Department, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Terri A. Croteau
- Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Melanie A. Morrison
- Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Todd G. Morrison
- Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Panno A, De Cristofaro V, Pellegrini V, Leone L, Giacomantonio M, Anna Donati M. Proud to support social equality: Investigating the roles of pride, guilt, anger, and disgust in attitudes towards immigrants. GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/13684302221098633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that low social dominance orientation (social equality orientation) promotes empathy with disadvantaged group members. In three studies, we tested a model relating preference for egalitarianism to positive attitudes towards immigrants through emotional experiences (pride, guilt, moral anger/ anger, disgust). Studies 1 and 2 showed that social equality orientation was positively related to proimmigrant attitudes through increased pride in helping immigrants, controlling for participants’ gender, age, and political orientation. Such a preference for egalitarianism was unrelated to proimmigrant attitudes through guilt for not helping immigrants and moral anger concerning mistreatment of immigrants. By focusing on emotional experience concerning proimmigrant national initiatives (e.g., integrating immigrants into the labor market), Study 3 corroborated the indirect effect of social equality orientation on proimmigrant attitudes through increased pride, controlling for participants’ gender, age, political orientation, as well as competitive jungle and dangerous world beliefs. Although much weaker, we also found a positive association between social equality orientation and proimmigrant attitudes through reduced anger, while no significant association through guilt and disgust was found. Results suggest that, relative to guilt, anger, and disgust, pride is the key channel through which preference for egalitarianism is related to positive attitudes towards immigrants. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.
Collapse
|
13
|
Davvetas V, Ulqinaku A, Abi GS. Local Impact of Global Crises, Institutional Trust, and Consumer
Well-Being: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MARKETING 2022; 30:73-101. [PMCID: PMC9133909 DOI: 10.1177/1069031x211022688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Global crises have become increasingly more frequent and consequential. Yet the
impact of these crises is unevenly distributed across countries, leading to
discrepancies in (inter)national crisis-regulating institutions’ ability to
uphold public trust and safeguard their constituents’ well-being. Employing the
paradigm of citizens as customers of political institutions, drawing on
attribution and sociopolitical trust theories, and using the COVID-19 pandemic
as an empirical context, the authors investigate how consumers’ relative
perceptions of local impact following a global crisis affect the psychological
processes of institutional trust formation and consumer well-being. Conducting
one survey-based study in two countries affected disproportionately by the
pandemic’s first wave (the United States and Greece) and one experimental study
in a third country (Italy) during the pandemic’s second wave, the authors find
that institutional trust declines more in countries whose citizens hold
perceptions of higher relative local impact following a global crisis;
institutional blame attributions explain trust erosion; institutional distrust
decreases consumer well-being and adherence to institutional guidelines;
consumers’ globalization attitudes immunize international institutions from
blame and distrust; and political conservatives transfer blame and distrust from
national to international institutions amid global crises. The findings enrich
the institutional branding and trust literatures and have implications for
stakeholders involved in global crisis management (e.g., policy makers,
political marketers, institutional brand managers).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios Davvetas
- Vasileios Davvetas is Associate Professor
of Marketing, Marketing Division, Leeds University Business School, University
of Leeds, UK (). Aulona Ulqinaku is
Assistant Professor of Marketing, Marketing Division, Leeds University Business
School, University of Leeds, UK ().
Gülen Sarial Abi is Associate Professor of Marketing, Department of Marketing,
Copenhagen Business School, Denmark ()
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
van Leeuwen F, Inbar Y, Petersen MB, Aarøe L, Barclay P, Barlow FK, de Barra M, Becker DV, Borovoi L, Choi J, Consedine NS, Conway JR, Conway P, Adoric VC, Demirci E, Fernández AM, Ferreira DCS, Ishii K, Jakšić I, Ji T, Jonaityte I, Lewis DMG, Li NP, McIntyre JC, Mukherjee S, Park JH, Pawlowski B, Pizarro D, Prokop P, Prodromitis G, Rantala MJ, Reynolds LM, Sandin B, Sevi B, Srinivasan N, Tewari S, Yong JC, Žeželj I, Tybur JM. Disgust sensitivity relates to attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women across 31 nations. GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/13684302211067151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous work has reported a relation between pathogen-avoidance motivations and prejudice toward various social groups, including gay men and lesbian women. It is currently unknown whether this association is present across cultures, or specific to North America. Analyses of survey data from adult heterosexuals ( N = 11,200) from 31 countries showed a small relation between pathogen disgust sensitivity (an individual-difference measure of pathogen-avoidance motivations) and measures of antigay attitudes. Analyses also showed that pathogen disgust sensitivity relates not only to antipathy toward gay men and lesbians, but also to negativity toward other groups, in particular those associated with violations of traditional sexual norms (e.g., prostitutes). These results suggest that the association between pathogen-avoidance motivations and antigay attitudes is relatively stable across cultures and is a manifestation of a more general relation between pathogen-avoidance motivations and prejudice towards groups associated with sexual norm violations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Leah Borovoi
- National Institute for Testing and Evaluation, Israel
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David M. G. Lewis
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, and Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pavol Prokop
- Comenius University, Slovakia
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Changes in Positive Affect Due to Popularity in an Experimental Dating Context Influence Some of Men’s, but Not Women’s, Socio-Political Attitudes. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-022-00188-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
16
|
LaCour M, Hughes B, Goldwater M, Ireland M, Worthy D, Van Allen J, Gaylord N, Van‐Hoosier G, Davis T. The Double Bind of Communicating About Zoonotic Origins: Describing Exotic Animal Sources of COVID-19 Increases Both Healthy and Discriminatory Avoidance Intentions. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2022; 42:506-521. [PMID: 34076291 PMCID: PMC8242573 DOI: 10.1111/risa.13764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many novel diseases are of zoonotic origin, likely including COVID-19. Describing diseases as originating from a diverse range of animals is known to increase risk perceptions and intentions to engage in preventative behaviors. However, it is also possible that communications depicting use of exotic animals as food sources may activate stereotypes of cultures at the origin of a disease, increasing discriminatory behaviors and disease stigma. We used general linear modeling and mediation analysis to test experimental data on communications about zoonotic disease origins from the critical first two months leading up to the declaration of a global pandemic. Results suggest that communications about potential familiar food origins (pigs) affected people's risk perceptions, health behaviors, and COVID-19 stigma compared to more exotic food sources (e.g., snakes). Participants (N = 707) who read descriptions of exotic origins viewed the virus as riskier and reported stronger intentions to engage in preventative behaviors than those who read about familiar origins (pigs). However, reading exotic origin descriptions was also associated with stronger intentions to avoid Asian individuals and animal products. These results are critical for both theory and public policy. For theory, they are the first to experimentally demonstrate that zoonotic origin descriptions can impact intentions to engage in discriminatory behaviors for cultures viewed as the origin of a novel infectious disease. For policy, they offer clear, actionable insights on how to communicate about risks associated with a novel zoonosis while managing the potential impact on discriminatory behaviors and stigma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark LaCour
- Department of Psychological SciencesTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTXUSA
| | - Brent Hughes
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of California RiversideCAUSA
| | | | - Molly Ireland
- Department of Psychological SciencesTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTXUSA
| | - Darrell Worthy
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
| | - Jason Van Allen
- Department of Psychological SciencesTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTXUSA
| | | | | | - Tyler Davis
- Department of Psychological SciencesTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTXUSA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
|
18
|
Takamatsu R. Striving to protect friends and family or holding everyone accountable: Moral expansiveness explains the difference between conservatives and liberals. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-00615-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
19
|
Sam Nariman H, Nguyen Luu LA, Hadarics M. Exploring inclusiveness towards immigrants as related to basic values: A network approach. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260624. [PMID: 34855829 PMCID: PMC8638986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Using the 9th round of European Social Survey (ESS), we explored the relationship between Europeans' basic values and their attitudes towards immigrants. Employing a latent class analysis (LCA), we classified the respondents based on three items capturing the extent to which participants would support allowing three groups of immigrants to enter and live in their countries: immigrants of same ethnic groups, immigrants of different ethnic groups, and immigrants from poorer countries outside Europe. Four classes of Europeans with mutually exclusive response patterns with respect to their inclusive attitudes towards immigrants were found. The classes were named Inclusive (highly inclusive), Some (selective), Few (highly selective), and Exclusive (highly exclusive). Next, using a network technique, a partial correlation network of 10 basic human values was estimated for each class of participants. The four networks were compared to each other based on three network properties namely: global connectivity, community detection, and assortativity coefficient. The global connectivity (the overall level of interconnections) between the 10 basic values was found to be mostly invariant across the four networks. However, results of the community detection analysis revealed a more complex value structure among the most inclusive class of Europeans. Further, according to the assortativity analysis, as expected, for the most inclusive Europeans, values with similar motivational backgrounds were found to be interconnected most strongly to one another. We further discussed the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Sam Nariman
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lan Anh Nguyen Luu
- Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márton Hadarics
- Department of Social Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Landry AP, Ihm E, Schooler JW. Filthy Animals: Integrating the Behavioral Immune System and Disgust into a Model of Prophylactic Dehumanization. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 8:120-133. [PMID: 34513569 PMCID: PMC8423601 DOI: 10.1007/s40806-021-00296-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The behavioral immune system (BIS) is an evolved psychological mechanism that motivates prophylactic avoidance of disease vectors by eliciting disgust. When felt toward social groups, disgust can dampen empathy and promote dehumanization. Therefore, we investigated whether the BIS facilitates the dehumanization of groups associated with disease by inspiring disgust toward them. An initial content analysis found that Nazi propaganda predominantly dehumanized Jews by portraying them as disease vectors or contaminants. This inspired three correlational studies supporting a Prophylactic Dehumanization Model in which the BIS predicted disgust toward disease-relevant outgroups, and this disgust in turn accounted for the dehumanization of these groups. In a final study, we found this process of prophylactic dehumanization had a downstream effect on increasing anti-immigrant attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, consistent with the evolutionary logic of a functionally flexible BIS, this effect only occurred when the threat of COVID-19 was salient. The implications of these results for the study of dehumanization and evolutionary theories of xenophobia are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Landry
- Department of Psychological and Bran Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA USA
| | - Elliott Ihm
- Department of Psychological and Bran Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA USA
| | - Jonathan W Schooler
- Department of Psychological and Bran Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Hudiyana J, Prawira B, Kartika DA, Mahendra D, Putra IE. Gods, germs, and science: Unraveling the role of scientific literacy, germ aversion, and religious fundamentalism in predicting attitudes towards gays and lesbians. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/casp.2534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Benny Prawira
- Jaringan Rakyat Bhinneka (People's Diversity Network) Jakarta Indonesia
| | - Dyah Ayu Kartika
- Jaringan Rakyat Bhinneka (People's Diversity Network) Jakarta Indonesia
| | - Dimas Mahendra
- Jaringan Rakyat Bhinneka (People's Diversity Network) Jakarta Indonesia
| | - Idhamsyah Eka Putra
- Faculty of Psychology Universitas Persada Indonesia YAI Jakarta Indonesia
- Division for Applied Social Psychology Research Jakarta Indonesia
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Gao S, Chen H, Lai K, Qian W. Predicting Regional Variations in Nationalism With Online Expression of Disgust in China. Front Psychol 2021; 12:564386. [PMID: 34122204 PMCID: PMC8195236 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.564386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Disgust is one of the basic emotions and is part of the behavioral immune system, which evolutionarily protects humans from toxic substances as well as from contamination threats by outgroup members. Previous works reveal that disgust not only activates humans’ defense against potential individual and collective threats, but also leads to severe moral judgments, negative intergroup attitudes, and even conservative political orientations. As is already known, nationalism is an ideology that features both negative feelings toward outgroups and beliefs about native superiority or privileges. Evidence from previous studies suggests that disgust is related to nationalism’s several components but lacks direct research on nationalism and disgust. The current study examines the relationship between disgust and nationalism in China at both individual and regional levels. In study 1, participants temporally induced disgust (vs. control) increasing the adoption of nationalism. In Study 2, we analyzed covariation in disgust expression in the Chinese micro-blog Weibo and the nationalism index as part of an online large-scale political survey http://zuobiao.me/ at the province level across Mainland China. The results show that online expression of disgust positively predicts nationalistic orientation at the regional level. Finally, we discuss how the findings shed light on research concerning online emotion expression and potential future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuqing Gao
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Social Psychology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Research Centre for Greater Bay Area Social Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kaisheng Lai
- College of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weining Qian
- School of Data Science and Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Stewart BD, Morris DSM. Moving Morality Beyond the In-Group: Liberals and Conservatives Show Differences on Group-Framed Moral Foundations and These Differences Mediate the Relationships to Perceived Bias and Threat. Front Psychol 2021; 12:579908. [PMID: 33967876 PMCID: PMC8096906 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.579908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Moral foundations research suggests that liberals care about moral values related to individual rights such as harm and fairness, while conservatives care about those foundations in addition to caring more about group rights such as loyalty, authority, and purity. However, the question remains about how conservatives and liberals differ in relation to group-level moral principles. We used two versions of the moral foundations questionnaire with the target group being either abstract or specific ingroups or outgroups. Across three studies, we observed that liberals showed more endorsement of Individualizing foundations (Harm and Fairness foundations) with an outgroup target, while conservatives showed more endorsement of Binding foundations (Loyalty, Authority, and Purity foundations) with an ingroup target. This general pattern was found when the framed, target-group was abstract (i.e., 'ingroups' and 'outgroups' in Study 1) and when target groups were specified about a general British-ingroup and an immigrant-outgroup (Studies 2 and 3). In Studies 2 and 3, both Individualizing-Ingroup Preference and Binding-Ingroup Preference scores predicted more Attitude Bias and more Negative Attitude Bias toward immigrants (Studies 2 and 3), more Implicit Bias (Study 3), and more Perceived Threat from immigrants (Studies 2 and 3). We also demonstrated that increasing liberalism was associated with less Attitude Bias and less Negative Bias toward immigrants (Studies 2 and 3), less Implicit Bias (Study 3), and less Perceived Threat from immigrants (Studies 2 and 3). Outgroup-individualizing foundations and Ingroup-Binding foundations showed different patterns of mediation of these effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brandon D Stewart
- Department of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - David S M Morris
- Department of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Gamblin BW, Kehn A, Vanderzanden K, Ruthig JC, Jones KM, Long BL. A Comparison of Juror Decision Making in Race-Based and Sexual Orientation-Based Hate Crime Cases. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2021; 36:3231-3256. [PMID: 29766757 DOI: 10.1177/0886260518774305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Several constructs have been identified as relevant to the juror decision-making process in hate crime cases. However, there is a lack of research on the relationships between these constructs and their variable influence across victim group. The purpose of the current study was to reexamine factors relevant to the juror decision-making process in hate crime cases within a structural model, and across victim group, to gauge the relative strength and explanatory power of various predictors. In the current study, 313 participants sentenced a perpetrator found guilty of a hate crime committed against either a Black man or a gay man; participants also responded to individual difference measures relevant to mock juror hate crime decision making, including prejudice toward the victim's social group. Using path analysis, we explored the role of juror prejudice on sentencing decisions in hate crime cases as well as similarities and differences based on the victimized group. Results indicated that, when the victim was a Black man, modern racism influenced sentencing both directly and indirectly through perpetrator blame attributions, explaining 18% of the variance in sentencing. In contrast, when the victim was a gay man, modern homophobia did not directly predict sentencing, and the overall model explained only 4% of the variance in sentencing, suggesting variables beyond juror prejudice may be better suited to explain juror decision making in sexual orientation-based hate crimes. The current study suggests that the role of juror prejudice in hate crime cases varies as a function of the victimized group and raises questions about the importance of juror prejudice in the sentencing of hate crime cases, particularly antigay prejudice. The importance of blame attributions, social dominance orientation, and juror beliefs regarding penalty enhancements for hate crime cases, as well as policy implications, are also addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andre Kehn
- University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Bondü R, Groshcheva N, Wecke M, Brutscher S. Zusammenhänge zwischen moralischer Ekelsensibilität und aggressivem Verhalten im Jugendalter. KINDHEIT UND ENTWICKLUNG 2021. [DOI: 10.1026/0942-5403/a000336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Moralische Ekelsensibilität (MES) beschreibt die Tendenz, sich von Normverstößen abgestoßen zu fühlen. Im Erwachsenenalter war MES negativ mit Aggression assoziiert; für das Jugendalter liegen kaum Studien vor. Fragestellung: Wir untersuchten, ob MES und Aggression im Jugendalter zusammenhängen und mit moralischer Ärgersensibilität (MÄS) zusammenspielt. Methode: 359 Jugendliche berichteten MES, MÄS, Formen und Funktionen von Aggression sowie verschiedene Kontrollvariablen. Ergebnisse: MES korrelierte negativ mit allen Aggressionsmaßen und sagte diese über MÄS hinaus vorher, nicht jedoch bei Berücksichtigung von Kontrollvariablen wie Ärgerneigung oder Neurotizismus. Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung: Moralische Ekelsensibilität hängt im Jugendalter negativ mit Aggression zusammen und lässt sich von moralischer Ärgersensibilität differenzieren. Sie verdient als moralbezogenes Trait daher weitere Aufmerksamkeit. Andere Variablen eigenen sich jedoch besser zur Prädiktion von Aggression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Bondü
- Psychologische Hochschule Berlin
- Fakultät für Psychologie, Universität Konstanz
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kempthorne JC, Terrizzi JA. The behavioral immune system and conservatism as predictors of disease-avoidant attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021; 178:110857. [PMID: 33758455 PMCID: PMC7973061 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to explore the relationships between the behavioral immune system (BIS), Political Ideology, and disease avoidant attitudes (e.g., attitudes toward vaccination and attitudes about COVID-19). The BIS (e.g., disgust) is believed to be the first line of defense against pathogens and has been linked to socially conservative values. Ironically, however, the BIS has also been associated with anti-vaccination attitudes. In the current study, American participants (N = 139) completed an online survey with self-report measures of the BIS (e.g., disgust sensitivity and perceived infectability), political ideology, COVID-19 attitudes, and anti-vaccination attitudes. Disgust sensitivity was positively correlated with anti-vaccination attitudes but not significantly correlated with attitudes toward COVID-19. Perceived infectability, however, was negatively correlated with anti-vaccination attitudes and positively correlated with anxiety and knowledge about COVID-19. Right-wing authoritarianism and support for Trump were negatively correlated with knowledge and anxiety about COVID-19 and positively correlated with anti-vaccination attitudes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- JohnMark C Kempthorne
- Department of Psychology and Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, United States of America
| | - John A Terrizzi
- Department of Psychology and Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Rosenfeld DL, Tomiyama AJ. Can a pandemic make people more socially conservative? Political ideology, gender roles, and the case of COVID-19. JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 51:425-433. [PMID: 33821034 PMCID: PMC8014651 DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The first months of 2020 rapidly threw people into a period of societal turmoil and pathogen threat with the COVID-19 pandemic. By promoting epistemic and existential motivational processes and activating people's behavioral immune systems, this pandemic may have changed social and political attitudes. The current research specifically asked the following question: As COVID-19 became pronounced in the United States during the pandemic's emergence, did people living there become more socially conservative? We present a repeated-measures study (N = 695) that assessed political ideology, gender role conformity, and gender stereotypes among U.S. adults before (January 25-26, 2020) versus during (March 19-April 2, 2020) the pandemic. During the pandemic, participants reported conforming more strongly to traditional gender roles and believing more strongly in traditional gender stereotypes than they did before the pandemic. Political ideology remained constant over time. These findings suggest that a pandemic may promote the preference for traditional gender roles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - A Janet Tomiyama
- Department of Psychology University of California Los Angeles CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Infection threat shapes our social instincts. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:47. [PMID: 33583997 PMCID: PMC7873116 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02975-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We social animals must balance the need to avoid infections with the need to interact with conspecifics. To that end we have evolved, alongside our physiological immune system, a suite of behaviors devised to deal with potentially contagious individuals. Focusing mostly on humans, the current review describes the design and biological innards of this behavioral immune system, laying out how infection threat shapes sociality and sociality shapes infection threat. The paper shows how the danger of contagion is detected and posted to the brain; how it affects individuals’ mate choice and sex life; why it strengthens ties within groups but severs those between them, leading to hostility toward anyone who looks, smells, or behaves unusually; and how it permeates the foundation of our moral and political views. This system was already in place when agriculture and animal domestication set off a massive increase in our population density, personal connections, and interaction with other species, amplifying enormously the spread of disease. Alas, pandemics such as COVID-19 not only are a disaster for public health, but, by rousing millions of behavioral immune systems, could prove a threat to harmonious cohabitation too.
Collapse
|
29
|
Ecker UKH, Butler LH, Hamby A. You don't have to tell a story! A registered report testing the effectiveness of narrative versus non-narrative misinformation corrections. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2020; 5:64. [PMID: 33300094 PMCID: PMC7725032 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-020-00266-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Misinformation often has an ongoing effect on people's memory and inferential reasoning even after clear corrections are provided; this is known as the continued influence effect. In pursuit of more effective corrections, one factor that has not yet been investigated systematically is the narrative versus non-narrative format of the correction. Some scholars have suggested that a narrative format facilitates comprehension and retention of complex information and may serve to overcome resistance to worldview-dissonant corrections. It is, therefore, a possibility that misinformation corrections are more effective if they are presented in a narrative format versus a non-narrative format. The present study tests this possibility. We designed corrections that are either narrative or non-narrative, while minimizing differences in informativeness. We compared narrative and non-narrative corrections in three preregistered experiments (total N = 2279). Experiment 1 targeted misinformation contained in fictional event reports; Experiment 2 used false claims commonly encountered in the real world; Experiment 3 used real-world false claims that are controversial, in order to test the notion that a narrative format may facilitate corrective updating primarily when it serves to reduce resistance to correction. In all experiments, we also manipulated test delay (immediate vs. 2 days), as any potential benefit of the narrative format may only arise in the short term (if the story format aids primarily with initial comprehension and updating of the relevant mental model) or after a delay (if the story format aids primarily with later correction retrieval). In all three experiments, it was found that narrative corrections are no more effective than non-narrative corrections. Therefore, while stories and anecdotes can be powerful, there is no fundamental benefit of using a narrative format when debunking misinformation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ullrich K. H. Ecker
- School of Psychological Science (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Perth, 6009 Australia
| | - Lucy H. Butler
- School of Psychological Science (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Perth, 6009 Australia
| | - Anne Hamby
- College of Business and Economics, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725 USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Dhanani LY, Franz B. Why public health framing matters: An experimental study of the effects of COVID-19 framing on prejudice and xenophobia in the United States. Soc Sci Med 2020; 269:113572. [PMID: 33321405 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a notable increase in the expression of prejudicial and xenophobic attitudes that threaten the wellbeing of minority groups and contribute to the overall public health toll of the virus. However, while there is evidence documenting the growth in discrimination and xenophobia, little is known about how the COVID-19 outbreak is activating the expression of such negative attitudes. The goal of the current paper therefore was to investigate what aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic may be contributing to this rise in expressions of prejudice and xenophobia. More specifically, this study used an experimental design to assess the effects of using stigmatized language to describe the virus as well as the threat to physical health and economic wellbeing posed by the virus on COVID-19 prejudice. Data were collected from a national sample of 1451 adults residing within the United States. Results from 2 × 2 x 2 between-subjects analyses of covariance demonstrated that emphasizing the connection between China and COVID-19, rather than framing the virus neutrally, increased negative attitudes toward Asian Americans, beliefs that resources should be prioritized for Americans rather than immigrants, and general xenophobia. Emphasizing the severity of the economic impact of the virus also increased beliefs that Asian Americans are a threat to resources and general xenophobia. In contrast, messages which emphasized the serious health risks of COVID-19 did not increase bias toward Asian Americans or xenophobia. Our findings suggest that specific types of public health messaging related to infectious diseases, especially framing the virus in terms of its country of origin or its likely economic impact, may elicit prejudice and xenophobia. Public health campaigns that emphasize the severity of the virus, however, are not likely to trigger the same negative attitudes. Implications for public health responses to health crises are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Y Dhanani
- Ohio University, Department of Psychology, 22 Richland Ave, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
| | - Berkeley Franz
- Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Shook NJ, Oosterhoff B. Testing the effects of pathogen threat and sexual strategies on political ideology. Politics Life Sci 2020; 39:187-199. [PMID: 33231036 DOI: 10.1017/pls.2020.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Disgust has been consistently associated with greater political conservatism. Two explanations have been proposed for this link. According to a pathogen threat model, disgust serves a pathogen-avoidance function, encouraging more conservative ideology, whereas a sexual strategies model suggests that this link is explained by variability in short-term versus long-term mating goals. In two preregistered studies using a college student and community sample (total N = 1,950), we examined whether experimentally manipulating pathogen threat and mate availability produced differences in political ideology and whether these differences were explained by disgust and sociosexual attitudes. Across both studies, we did not find evidence that manipulating pathogen threat or mate availability resulted in change in political ideology. In Study 1, manipulating mate availability was indirectly associated with greater political conservativism through stronger sociosexual attitudes that favor monogamy. These findings failed to replicate in Study 2. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.
Collapse
|
32
|
Disgust and political attitudes Guest Editors' Introduction to the Special Issue. Politics Life Sci 2020; 39:129-134. [PMID: 33231032 DOI: 10.1017/pls.2020.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
We introduce the Politics and the Life Sciences Special Issue on Disgust and Political Attitudes discussing the importance of understanding state and trait disgust, the innovative and transparent process by which registered reports and preregistered studies were chosen and funded, and the manuscripts that make up this special issue. This essay concludes by discussing future research directions in disgust and political attitudes, as well as the benefits of a transparent review process that avoids the "file drawer problem" of unpublished null findings.
Collapse
|
33
|
The Effects of the Mating Market, Sex, Age, and Income on Sociopolitical Orientation : Insights from Evolutionary Theory and Sexual Economics Theory. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2020; 31:88-111. [PMID: 31916195 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-019-09361-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Sociopolitical attitudes are often the root cause of conflicts between individuals, groups, and even nations, but little is known about the origin of individual differences in sociopolitical orientation. We test a combination of economic and evolutionary ideas about the degree to which the mating market, sex, age, and income affect sociopolitical orientation. We collected data online through Amazon's Mechanical Turk from 1108 US participants who were between 18 and 60, fluent in English, and single. While ostensibly testing a new online dating website, participants created an online dating profile and described people they would like to date. We manipulated the participants' popularity in the mating market and the size of the market (i.e., the number of ideal partners in the market) and then measured participants' sociopolitical attitudes. The sociopolitical attitudes were reduced to five dimensions via Principal Components Analysis (Sociosexuality, Benevolent Sexism, Wealth Redistribution, Nonconforming Behaviors, and Traditional Family Values). Both manipulations affected attitudes toward wealth redistribution but were largely not significant predictors of the other dimensions. Men reported more unrestricted sociosexual attitudes, and more support for benevolent sexism and traditional family values, than women did, and women supported wealth redistribution more than men did. There was no sex difference in accepting nonconforming behaviors. Younger people and people with lower incomes were more liberal than older people and people with higher incomes, respectively, regardless of sex. Overall, effects were largely not interactive, suggesting that individual differences in sociopolitical orientation may reflect strategic self-interest and be more straightforward than previously predicted.
Collapse
|
34
|
Does the Quality of Mating Competitors Affect Socio-Political Attitudes? An Experimental Test. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00151-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
35
|
Capturing Fluctuations in Pathogen Avoidance: the Situational Pathogen Avoidance Scale. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 7:21-38. [PMID: 32837865 PMCID: PMC7424133 DOI: 10.1007/s40806-020-00256-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Pathogen avoidance is an important motive underlying human behavior and is associated with numerous psychological processes—including biases against social groups heuristically associated with illness. Although there are reliable measurement scales to assess chronic dispositional levels of pathogen avoidance, no measurement scale currently exists to directly assess moment-to-moment fluctuations in pathogen avoidance. This paper presents the Situational Pathogen Avoidance (SPA) scale, which assesses situational variability in pathogen avoidance, especially as it pertains to avoidance of social stimuli. Across six studies, we demonstrate the reliability and validity of the SPA scale, show that the scale is influenced by situational activation of pathogen avoidance motives, and demonstrate that it mediates the association between pathogen avoidance motives (both chronic and situational) and social biases against obese and foreign targets. The SPA scale provides a valuable measurement tool for researchers who study pathogen avoidance and to those who study social biases more generally.
Collapse
|
36
|
Individual differences in processing emotional images after reading disgusting and neutral sentences. Neuropsychologia 2020; 145:106580. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
|
37
|
|
38
|
|
39
|
Anderson E, Zebrowitz L. The role of perceived vulnerability to disease in political polarization on climate change. JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evan Anderson
- Department of Psychology Brandeis University Waltham MA USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Ray TN, Parkhill MR. Heteronormativity, Disgust Sensitivity, and Hostile Attitudes toward Gay Men: Potential Mechanisms to Maintain Social Hierarchies. SEX ROLES 2020; 84:49-60. [PMID: 32226200 PMCID: PMC7100401 DOI: 10.1007/s11199-020-01146-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Within a social hierarchy based on sexual orientation, heteronormative ideology serves as a social force that maintains dominant group members' status (e.g., heterosexual men). Disgust may be an emotional reaction to gay men's violation of heteronormativity (i.e., same-sex sexual behavior) and motivate hostile attitudes toward gay men to promote interpersonal and intergroup boundaries. Based on this theoretical framework, we hypothesized that sexual disgust-compared to pathogen or moral disgust-would be most strongly associated with antigay hostility and would statistically mediate its relationship with heteronormativity. Heterosexual men in the United States (n = 409) completed an online questionnaire assessing heteronormative ideology, disgust sensitivity, and hostile attitudes toward gay men. Results support the hypotheses and suggest that gay men's sexual behavior is the most likely elicitor of disgust and antigay hostility, as opposed to a perceived pathogen threat or moral transgression. The findings indicate that heteronormative attitudes and sexual disgust are likely contributors to antigay hostility. Thus, intervention efforts should seek to improve tolerance of same-sex sexual behavior among heterosexual men, which may mitigate emotional reactions and hostile attitudes toward gay men.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Travis N Ray
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 654 Pioneer Drive. Prayle Hall, Rochester, MI 48309 USA
| | - Michele R Parkhill
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 654 Pioneer Drive. Prayle Hall, Rochester, MI 48309 USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Terrizzi JA, Shook NJ. On the Origin of Shame: Does Shame Emerge From an Evolved Disease-Avoidance Architecture? Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:19. [PMID: 32132907 PMCID: PMC7040959 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Shame and disgust are believed to be evolved psychological solutions to different adaptive challenges. Shame is thought to promote the maintenance of social hierarchies (Gilbert, 1997; Fessler, 2004), whereas disgust is believed to encourage disease avoidance (Curtis et al., 2004; Oaten et al., 2009). Although shame and disgust are often treated as orthogonal emotions, they share some important similarities. Both involve bodily concerns, are described as moral emotions, and encourage avoidance of social interaction. The purpose of the current research was to examine whether shame is uniquely related to disgust and pathogen avoidance. To rule out an association due to the negative valence of both emotions, guilt was also examined. In Study 1, disgust sensitivity and fear of contamination were positively correlated with shame, but not guilt, even after controlling for negative affect. In Study 2, a disgust induction increased shame, but not guilt, for individuals who were sensitive to disgust. The current research provides preliminary evidence for unique relation between shame and disgust.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Terrizzi
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX, United States
| | - Natalie J Shook
- School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Fay AJ, Ainsworth SE, Maner JK. State Anxiety and Pathogen Cues Jointly Promote Social Cognitive Responses to Pathogen Threats. SOCIAL COGNITION 2020. [DOI: 10.1521/soco.2020.38.1.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
|
43
|
Stewart PA, Adams TG, Senior C. The Effect of Trait and State Disgust on Fear of God and Sin. Front Psychol 2020; 11:51. [PMID: 32063875 PMCID: PMC7000625 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing literature suggesting disgust plays a major role in religiosity. However, the relationships between specific domains of disgust sensitivity and general religious fundamentalism or religious scrupulosity remains unknown and a lack of experimental data prevents the drawing of causal inferences about the potential effects of disgust on religiosity. Two studies are reported that examined the relationship between specific types of disgust sensitivity (i.e., pathogen, sexual, and moral disgust) and specific religious beliefs (i.e., fear of sin and fear of God). In the first study it was found that sexual disgust and pathogen disgust were significantly correlated with fear of sin and fear of God, respectively. In the second study the experimental induction of disgust led to greater fear of sin but not to the fear of God. These findings suggest that pathogen and sexual disgust sensitivities may serve as effective mechanisms for inflated scrupulosity. Taken together the outcomes from both studies converge on a greater understanding of the ‘Human Behavioral Immune System’ model that can account for social behavior with the evolution of adaptive benefit and perhaps more importantly highlights the possible drivers of specific religious behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A Stewart
- Department of Political Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Thomas G Adams
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Carl Senior
- School of Life & Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Patev AJ, Hall CJ, Dunn CE, Bell AD, Owens BD, Hood KB. Hostile sexism and Right-Wing Authoritarianism as mediators of the relationship between sexual disgust and abortion stigmatizing attitudes. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
45
|
Elad-Strenger J, Proch J, Kessler T. Is Disgust a "Conservative" Emotion? PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2019; 46:896-912. [PMID: 31619133 DOI: 10.1177/0146167219880191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Extant political-psychological research has identified stable, context-independent differences between conservatives and liberals in a wide range of preferences and psychological processes. One consistent finding is that conservatives show higher disgust sensitivity than liberals. This finding, however, is predominantly based on assessments of disgust to specific elicitors, which confound individuals' sensitivity and propensity to the experience of disgust with the extent to which they find specific elicitors disgusting. Across five studies, we vary specific elicitors of disgust, showing that the relations between political orientation and disgust sensitivity depend on the specific set of elicitors used. We also show that disgust sensitivity is not associated with political orientation when measured with an elicitor-unspecific scale. Taken together, our findings suggest that the differences between conservatives and liberals in disgust sensitivity are context dependent rather than a stable personality difference. Broader theoretical implications are discussed.
Collapse
|
46
|
Tartaglia S, Rollero C, Bergagna E. The two sides of Islamophobia and the perception of threat from Islamic terrorists. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 47:1772-1786. [PMID: 31374586 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
There is a heightened interest concerning the understanding of prejudice toward Muslims in Europe, steadily increasing since 2001. This study aimed at investigating whether the phenomenon of Islamophobia could have two different manifestations (i.e., Islamoprejudice and Secular Critique of Islam). In particular, we assessed whether two social attitudes, Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA, i.e., authoritarian aggression, and conservatism) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), could predict differently the two dimensions. Moreover, we wanted to investigate the different influence of the two dimensions in relation to the perceived threat from terrorism. A sample of 366 Italian adults participated in the study completing a self-report questionnaire. Data were analyzed by means of a structural equation model. Results showed that RWA and SDO were differently related to Islamoprejudice and Secular Critique of Islam, suggesting that certain forms of critique of Islam should not be associated with individual prejudice, because motivated only by secular, democratic, and universalistic convictions, denoting the traces of cultural biases. However, the nonprejudicial and apparently less problematic dimension of Islamophobia, that is, Secular Critique, does not preserve people from perceiving the threat from terrorism, in the same way as Islamoprejudice. Implications are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Rollero
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Elisa Bergagna
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Winget JR, Tindale RS. Stereotypic morality: The influence of group membership on moral foundations. GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/1368430219866502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Today’s modern world affords many benefits, one of which is the ability to have near-instantaneous interactions with groups and cultures other than our own. Though advantageous in many situations, one challenge for these groups is navigating what they perceive to be right and wrong in a cooperative manner despite having different modes of morality. Moral foundations theory holds groups use the same moral foundations to guide their judgments and decision making, but there has been little research on how the perception of these foundations differs within and between groups. Thus, the current study examined how moral foundations operate from a group perspective and potential outgroup moderators of moral foundations. Participants rated the extent to which various groups used moral foundations in one of two conditions. Each condition contained an ingroup and three outgroups that conformed to the quadrants of the stereotype content model. Results showed significant differences in the harm, fairness, and loyalty foundations between ingroups and outgroups. Moreover, the type of outgroup significantly influenced moral foundations scores. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering moral foundations at the group level.
Collapse
|
48
|
Wagemans FM, Brandt MJ, Zeelenberg M. Weirdness of disgust sensitivity items predicts their relationship to purity moral judgments. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
49
|
Xu X, Karinen AK, Chapman HA, Peterson JB, Plaks JE. An orderly personality partially explains the link between trait disgust and political conservatism. Cogn Emot 2019; 34:302-315. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2019.1627292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Xu
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA
| | - Annika K. Karinen
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hanah A. Chapman
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | | | - Jason E. Plaks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Wang R, Yang Q, Huang P, Sai L, Gong Y. The Association Between Disgust Sensitivity and Negative Attitudes Toward Homosexuality: The Mediating Role of Moral Foundations. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1229. [PMID: 31244709 PMCID: PMC6562335 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have found that "disgust-sensitive" individuals have negative attitudes toward gay and lesbian people, but the underlying mechanisms for such attitudes remain unclear. Based on moral foundations theory, the current paper assumes that the relationship between disgust sensitivity and attitudes toward homosexuality are mediated by moral foundations. In order to test this assumption, the current authors examined the questionnaire answers from a total of 452 Chinese undergraduates who participated in this study. The results showed that disgust sensitivity was positively correlated with negative attitudes toward homosexuality, and positively correlated with moral concerns in five domains (care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity). Authority and sanctity were both associated with attitudes toward homosexuality, while only sanctity mediated the relationship between disgust sensitivity and attitudes toward homosexuality. Overall, the results suggest that considering moral foundations (especially sanctity) may lend more insight to the associations between disgust sensitivity and negative attitudes toward gay and lesbian people.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruile Wang
- Department of General Education, Xiamen University Tan Kah Kee College, Zhangzhou, China
| | - Qi Yang
- School of Humanities, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Huang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Liyang Sai
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yue Gong
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|