Document Detail


Overperceiving Disease Cues: The Basic Cognition of the Behavioral Immune System.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  22329656     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The behavioral immune system is designed to promote the detection and avoidance of potential sources of disease. Whereas previous studies of the behavioral immune system have provided insight into the types of heuristic cues used to identify disease carriers, the present research provides an understanding of the basic psychological processes involved in the detection of those cues. Across 4 studies, feeling vulnerable to disease, whether that feeling stemmed from dispositional tendencies or situational primes, facilitated a disease overperception bias-a tendency to overperceive people in the environment displaying heuristic disease cues. This disease overperception bias was observed in the outcomes of 2 cognitive processes: categorization and memory. When concerned about disease, participants set a lenient threshold for categorizing targets as displaying heuristic disease cues (e.g., obesity, old age). Additionally, concerns about disease led participants to set a lenient threshold for reporting on a recognition task that they had previously seen individuals displaying those disease cues. The present research provides insight into the basic cognitive mechanisms underlying the operation of the behavioral immune system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).
Authors:
Saul L Miller; Jon K Maner
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Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE     Date:  2012-2-13
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of personality and social psychology     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1939-1315     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2012 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2012-2-14     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0014171     Medline TA:  J Pers Soc Psychol     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  -    
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