Social distancing from foreign individuals as a disease-avoidance mechanism: Testing the assumptions of the behavioral immune system theory during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Topics of prejudice, discrimination, and negative attitudes toward outgroups have attracted much attention of social scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the preference for social distancing can originate from the perception of threat. One of the theoretical approaches that offers an explanation for avoidance tendencies is the behavioral immune system theory. As a motivational system that aims to identify and avoid pathogens, the behavioral immune system has been shown to be triggered by various cues of a potential disease threat (e.g., the risk of contracting a virus), which further leads to negative social consequences such as xenophobia, negative attitudes toward various social groups, and distancing tendencies. We present a correlational study (N = 588; Polish sample) that was designed to test mediational models derived from the behavioral immune system theory, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a source of natural disease threat. In serial mediation analyses we show that the perceived threat of COVID-19 translates into greater preferred social distance from foreign individuals, and that this occurs in two ways: 1) via pathogen disgust (but not sexual or moral disgust), and 2) via germ aversion (but not perceived infectability). Both pathogen disgust and germ aversion further predict general feelings toward foreign individuals, which finally determine the preferred social distance from these individuals. The results support the behavioral immune system theory as an important concept for understanding social distancing tendencies.

Responses to political partisans are shaped by a COVID-19-sensitive disease avoidance psychology: A longitudinal investigation of functional flexibility.

“…Consistent with this, above and beyond strong effects of in-party favoritism/out-party derogation, participants who were dispositionally high in disease avoidance motivation—even Republican participants—believed Republicans to be more likely to infect others and felt more disgust toward them. Broadly, this is in line with research showing that people who dispositionally perceived a greater threat from COVID-19 reported greater preferred social distance from foreigners (Szymkow et al, 2021) and from Asian targets in the United States during the early stage of COVID-19 (Reny & Barreto, 2020).…”

Responses to political partisans are shaped by a COVID-sensitive disease avoidance psychology: A longitudinal investigation of functional flexibility

“…Consistent with this, above and beyond strong effects of in-party favoritism/out-party derogation, participants who were dispositionally high in disease avoidance motivation-even Republican participants-believed Republicans to be more likely to infect others and felt more disgust toward them. Broadly, this is in line with research showing that people who dispositionally perceived greater threat from COVID-19 reported greater preferred social distance from foreigners (Szymkow et al, 2021) and from Asian targets in the United States during the early stage of COVID-19 (Reny & Barreto, 2020).…”

Pandemic threat and authoritarian attitudes in Europe: An empirical analysis of the exposure to COVID-19

“…considering any pandemic as a direct trigger for the BIS (see Ackerman et al, 2021), recent research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic had noticeable effects on BIS-related factors (Schaller et al, 2021;Szymkow et al, 2021). 3.…”

“… 2. Although, we assume that exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic threat elicits emotions, we are well aware that the BIS has deep evolutionary roots. Even though we should be careful about considering any pandemic as a direct trigger for the BIS (see Ackerman et al, 2021), recent research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic had noticeable effects on BIS-related factors (Schaller et al, 2021; Szymkow et al, 2021). …”