Pathogen-avoidance mechanisms and the stigmatization of obese people

Justin H. Park; Mark Schaller; Christian S. Crandall

doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.05.008

Pathogen-avoidance mechanisms and the stigmatization of obese people

Justin H. Park^*, Mark Schaller, Christian S. Crandall

^*Corresponding author for this work

Social Psychology

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

295 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Humans possess pathogen-avoidance mechanisms that respond to the visual perception of morphological anomalies in others. We investigated whether obesity may trigger these mechanisms. Study I revealed that people who are chronically concerned about pathogen transmission have more negative attitudes toward obese people; this effect was especially pronounced following visual exposure to obese individuals. Study 2 revealed that obesity is implicitly associated with disease-connoting concepts; this effect was especially pronounced when the threat of pathogen transmission is highly salient. Evolved pathogen-detection mechanisms are hypersensitive, and they appear to play a role in the stigmatization of obese people. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	410-414
Number of pages	5
Journal	Evolution and Human Behavior
Volume	28
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.05.008
Publication status	Published - Nov-2007

Keywords

behavioral immune system
disease avoidance
obesity
pathogen cues
stigma
DISEASE-AVOIDANCE
ATTITUDES
ETHNOCENTRISM
ASSOCIATION
PREJUDICE
MODEL

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title = "Pathogen-avoidance mechanisms and the stigmatization of obese people",

abstract = "Humans possess pathogen-avoidance mechanisms that respond to the visual perception of morphological anomalies in others. We investigated whether obesity may trigger these mechanisms. Study I revealed that people who are chronically concerned about pathogen transmission have more negative attitudes toward obese people; this effect was especially pronounced following visual exposure to obese individuals. Study 2 revealed that obesity is implicitly associated with disease-connoting concepts; this effect was especially pronounced when the threat of pathogen transmission is highly salient. Evolved pathogen-detection mechanisms are hypersensitive, and they appear to play a role in the stigmatization of obese people. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "behavioral immune system, disease avoidance, obesity, pathogen cues, stigma, DISEASE-AVOIDANCE, ATTITUDES, ETHNOCENTRISM, ASSOCIATION, PREJUDICE, MODEL",

author = "Park, {Justin H.} and Mark Schaller and Crandall, {Christian S.}",

year = "2007",

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doi = "10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.05.008",

language = "English",

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pages = "410--414",

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AU - Park, Justin H.

AU - Schaller, Mark

AU - Crandall, Christian S.

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N2 - Humans possess pathogen-avoidance mechanisms that respond to the visual perception of morphological anomalies in others. We investigated whether obesity may trigger these mechanisms. Study I revealed that people who are chronically concerned about pathogen transmission have more negative attitudes toward obese people; this effect was especially pronounced following visual exposure to obese individuals. Study 2 revealed that obesity is implicitly associated with disease-connoting concepts; this effect was especially pronounced when the threat of pathogen transmission is highly salient. Evolved pathogen-detection mechanisms are hypersensitive, and they appear to play a role in the stigmatization of obese people. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AB - Humans possess pathogen-avoidance mechanisms that respond to the visual perception of morphological anomalies in others. We investigated whether obesity may trigger these mechanisms. Study I revealed that people who are chronically concerned about pathogen transmission have more negative attitudes toward obese people; this effect was especially pronounced following visual exposure to obese individuals. Study 2 revealed that obesity is implicitly associated with disease-connoting concepts; this effect was especially pronounced when the threat of pathogen transmission is highly salient. Evolved pathogen-detection mechanisms are hypersensitive, and they appear to play a role in the stigmatization of obese people. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

KW - behavioral immune system

KW - disease avoidance

KW - obesity

KW - pathogen cues

KW - stigma

KW - DISEASE-AVOIDANCE

KW - ATTITUDES

KW - ETHNOCENTRISM

KW - ASSOCIATION

KW - PREJUDICE

KW - MODEL

U2 - 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.05.008

DO - 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.05.008

M3 - Article

SN - 1090-5138

VL - 28

SP - 410

EP - 414

JO - Evolution and Human Behavior

JF - Evolution and Human Behavior

IS - 6

ER -

Pathogen-avoidance mechanisms and the stigmatization of obese people

Abstract

Keywords

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