Body odor disgust sensitivity is associated with prejudice towards a fictive group of immigrants

Why are certain individuals persistent in opposing immigration? The behavioral immune system framework implies that a psychological mechanism, which adapted to detect and avoid pathogen threats, is also reflected in contemporary social attitudes. Moreover, prejudice towards outgroups might be partia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physiology & behavior 2019-03, Vol.201, p.221-227
Main Authors: Zakrzewska, Marta, Olofsson, Jonas K., Lindholm, Torun, Blomkvist, Anna, Liuzza, Marco Tullio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Attitude
Behavioral immune system
Body odor disgust sensitivity
Disgust
Emigrants and Immigrants
Female
Food
Humans
Hygiene
Male
Middle Aged
Odorants
Olfaction
Politics
Prejudice
Prejudice - psychology
Psychology
psykologi
Smell
Xenophobia
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Summary:Why are certain individuals persistent in opposing immigration? The behavioral immune system framework implies that a psychological mechanism, which adapted to detect and avoid pathogen threats, is also reflected in contemporary social attitudes. Moreover, prejudice towards outgroups might be partially driven by implicit pathogen concerns related to the perceived dissimilarity with these groups' hygiene and food preparation practices. Disgust, a universal core emotion supposedly evolved to avoid pathogen threats, as well as olfaction, both play a pivotal role in evoking disgust. In an online study (N = 800), we investigated whether individual differences in body odor disgust sensitivity (BODS) correlate with negative attitudes towards a fictive refugee group. The data analysis plan and hypotheses were preregistered. Results show that body odor disgust sensitivity is associated with xenophobia: BODS was positively associated with negative attitudes towards the fictive group. This relationship was partially mediated by perceived dissimilarities of the group in terms of hygiene and food preparation. Our finding suggests prejudice might be rooted in sensory mechanisms. •Higher ratings of body odor disgust sensitivity are related to more negative attitudes towards a fictive refugee group.•Negative attitudes towards the fictive refugee group are confidently related to general attitudes towards immigration.•Perceived group dissimilarity partially mediates the relationship between body odor disgust sensitivity and attitudes.
ISSN:0031-9384
1873-507X
1873-507X
DOI:10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.01.006