Do Experimental Manipulations of Pathogen Avoidance Motivations Influence Conformity?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Do Experimental Manipulations of Pathogen Avoidance Motivations Influence Conformity?

AU - van Leeuwen, Florian

AU - Jaeger, Bastian

AU - Sleegers, Willem W.A.

AU - Petersen, Michael Bang

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

PY - 2024/7

Y1 - 2024/7

N2 - By conforming to ingroup norms, individuals coordinate with other group members, preserve cohesion, and avoid costs of exclusion. Previous experiments have shown that increased concerns about infectious disease increase conformity. However, coordination with other group members has multiple benefits, most of which exist independent of pathogenic infection. Hence, a strong causal effect of pathogen avoidance motivations on conformity seems unlikely. Results from five experiments (N = 1,931) showed only limited support for the hypothesis that experimentally increasing pathogen avoidance motivations influences conformity. Overall, our findings are not consistent with the notion that the human mind contains a fast-acting psychological mechanism that regulates conformity as a function of short-term pathogen avoidance motivations.

AB - By conforming to ingroup norms, individuals coordinate with other group members, preserve cohesion, and avoid costs of exclusion. Previous experiments have shown that increased concerns about infectious disease increase conformity. However, coordination with other group members has multiple benefits, most of which exist independent of pathogenic infection. Hence, a strong causal effect of pathogen avoidance motivations on conformity seems unlikely. Results from five experiments (N = 1,931) showed only limited support for the hypothesis that experimentally increasing pathogen avoidance motivations influences conformity. Overall, our findings are not consistent with the notion that the human mind contains a fast-acting psychological mechanism that regulates conformity as a function of short-term pathogen avoidance motivations.

KW - behavioral immune system

KW - conformity

KW - disgust

KW - norms

KW - pathogen avoidance

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150886901&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/01461672231160655

DO - 10.1177/01461672231160655

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36945750

AN - SCOPUS:85150886901

SN - 0146-1672

VL - 50

SP - 1051

EP - 1065

JO - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

JF - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

IS - 7

ER -