title: Extending the the behavioral immune system to political psychology: are political conservatism and disgust sensitivity really related?
abstract: Previous research suggests that several individual and cultural level attitudes, cognitions, and societal structures may have evolved to mitigate the pathogen threats posed by intergroup interactions. It has been suggested that these anti-pathogen defenses are at the root of conservative political ideology. Here, we test a hypothesis that political conservatism functions as a pathogen-avoidance strategy. Across three studies, we consistently find no relationship between sensitivity to pathogen disgust and multiple measures of political conservatism. These results are contrasted with theoretical perspectives suggesting a relationship between conservatism and pathogen avoidance, and with previous findings of a relationship between conservatism and disgust sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA. tybur@unm.edu
authors.forename: Joshua M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tybur
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Merriman
authors.forename: Ann E Caldwell
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hooper
authors.forename: Melissa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Carlos David
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Navarrete
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D011057:Politics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011593:Psychology, Social; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult