title: Money for microbes-Pathogen avoidance and out-group helping behaviour.
abstract: Humans have evolved various adaptations against pathogens, including the physiological immune system. However, not all of these adaptations are physiological: the cognitive mechanisms whereby we avoid potential sources of pathogens-for example, disgust elicited by uncleanliness-can be considered as parts of a behavioural immune system (BIS). The mechanisms of BIS extend also to inter-group relations: Pathogen cues have been shown to increase xenophobia/ethnocentrism, as people prefer to keep their societal in-group norms unaltered and "clean." Nonetheless, little is known how pathogen cues influence people's willingness to provide humanitarian aid to out-group members. We examined how pathogen cues affected decisions of providing humanitarian aid in either instrumental (sending money) or non-instrumental form (sending personnel to help, or accepting refugees), and whether these effects were moderated by individual differences in BIS sensitivity. Data were collected in two online studies (Ns: 188 and 210). When the hypothetical humanitarian crisis involved a clear risk of infection, participants with high BIS sensitivity preferred to send money rather than personnel or to accept refugees. The results suggest that pathogen cues influence BIS-sensitive individuals' willingness to provide humanitarian aid when there is a risk of contamination to in-group members.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Science unit, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laakasuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Köbis
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Science unit, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palomäki
authors.affiliation: Psychology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jokela
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Behavioural immune system; Individual differences; Inter-group help; Pathogen cues