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Pathogen prevalence predicts human cross-cultural variability in individualism/collectivism
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Fincher, Corey L., Thornhill, R., Murray, D. R and Schaller, M. (2008) Pathogen prevalence predicts human cross-cultural variability in individualism/collectivism. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Volume 275 (Number 1640). pp. 1279-1285. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0094 ISSN 0962-8452.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.0094
Abstract
Pathogenic diseases impose selection pressures on the social behaviour of host populations. In humans (Homo sapiens), many psychological phenomena appear to serve an antipathogen defence function. One broad implication is the existence of cross-cultural differences in human cognition and behaviour contingent upon the relative presence of pathogens in the local ecology. We focus specifically on one fundamental cultural variable: differences in individualistic versus collectivist values. We suggest that specific behavioural manifestations of collectivism (e.g. ethnocentrism, conformity) can inhibit the transmission of pathogens; and so we hypothesize that collectivism (compared with individualism) will more often characterize cultures in regions that have historically had higher prevalence of pathogens. Drawing on epidemiological data and the findings of worldwide cross-national surveys of individualism/collectivism, our results support this hypothesis: the regional prevalence of pathogens has a strong positive correlation with cultural indicators of collectivism and a strong negative correlation with individualism. The correlations remain significant even when controlling for potential confounding variables. These results help to explain the origin of a paradigmatic cross-cultural difference, and reveal previously undocumented consequences of pathogenic diseases on the variable nature of human societies.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Psychology | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences | ||||
Publisher: | The Royal Society Publishing | ||||
ISSN: | 0962-8452 | ||||
Official Date: | 7 June 2008 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | Volume 275 | ||||
Number: | Number 1640 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 1279-1285 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1098/rspb.2008.0094 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access |
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