Over the past 6000 years, human society has evolved from semi-nomadic groups reliant on foraging to urban civilizations dependent on agriculture and industrial food production. Despite significant transformations such as agricultural, industrial, and technological revolutions, infectious diseases like Malaria and COVID-19 continue to affect us as they did to our ancestors. Our focus in human relationships and moral values also remains consistent with historical patterns. The research we conduct in our lab explores how fundamental human traits shape modern cognition, focusing on microbes, mating, and morality. Through a range of psychological tools and experimental designs, we study responses to pathogen cues, mating strategies, and moral judgments, aiming to apply these insights to issues like food preferences and public health. This interdisciplinary approach, including genetic and hormonal analyses, helps to understand behavior patterns from disease avoidance to social conflicts, while informing strategies to address public issues such as lifestyle diseases and cultural conflicts.
Current Projects
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NPIs against disease
Research links parasite stress to psychological traits that may counteract pathogens, such as collectivism and religiosity. We aim to determine if behaviors like handwashing and staying home when sick are more common in countries with high parasite stress. We will also examine whether these behaviors, along with social disapproval of those who do not practice them, primarily protect the individual or others.
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Comfort with interpersonal contact
Recent U.S. studies show that discomfort with touching objects handled by others correlates with perceived social value. We will expand this research to 60 countries, assessing if higher infectious disease rates decrease comfort with interpersonal contact. Additionally, we will explore if parasite stress influences greeting norms that involve physical contact, like handshakes and hugs, compared to non-contact greetings such as bows and waves.
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Universal disgust elicitors
We will investigate whether disgust, an emotion thought to have evolved for pathogen avoidance, extends beyond universal triggers like bodily waste to behaviors and concepts such as immorality. Participants will rank several disgust sources, and we will compare reactions to pathogens, immoral acts, and physical trauma across different cultures, including those with limited formal education, to determine if disgust responses are universally consistent.
