Neural Correlates of the Behavioral Immune System: An fMRI Study
Poster No:
837
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
JEYOON CHOI1, Motoaki Sugiura2
Institutions:
1Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 2Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi
First Author:
Co-Author:
Introduction:
The Behavioral Immune System hypothesis posits that evolutionary pressures to avoid infections have profoundly influenced human behavior, particularly in shaping social dynamics. Prior research has explored the connections between disease threat perceptions and collectivistic social attitudes, delving into the behavioral aspects of fear and collectivism in response to health threats, as well as the impact of cultural collectivism on pandemic responses [1-4]. However, the exploration of these relationships has largely been confined to the behavioral level, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of the neural mechanisms at play. Specifically, how the brain processes pre-existing collectivist orientations and their adaptations in response to perceived infection threats is yet to be fully elucidated. Our study, utilizing functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), aimed to explore two key aspects: (1) investigating how pre-existing collectivist orientations are reflected in brain responses to infection-related stimuli; and (2) examining specific brain areas in relation to changes in collectivism as a result of exposure to these stimuli.
Methods:
Our research focused on two primary objectives. The first was to map brain activation patterns in participants with varying degrees of collectivist orientations when presented with infection-related stimuli. The second objective was to track alterations in brain activity correlating with changes in collectivist attitudes following exposure to these stimuli. We recruited 55 participants to explore the neural correlates of collectivism in response to perceived infection threats. During the MRI task, participants were exposed to 'infection' and 'neutral' images, designed to elicit infection-related emotional responses and serve as controls, respectively. Each participant underwent two sessions, each consisting of 20 trials, where they rated their emotional reactions-disgust, fear, and infection concern-using a 4-point Likert scale. We also administered questionnaires to measure "Perceived Vulnerability to Disease" [5] and "Horizontal-Vertical Collectivism and Individualism" [6] before and after the MRI sessions.
Results:
In our fMRI analysis, we identified specific neural responses aligned with our research objectives. Addressing the first research purpose, we discovered a negative correlation between participants' pre-task collectivism scores and neural activity in key areas: notably, the right inferior frontal gyrus and insula. This suggests that individuals with higher collectivism scores exhibit distinct neural patterns when processing infection-related stimuli. For the second research purpose, we observed that changes in collectivism scores corresponded with significant alterations in brain activity. These changes were particularly evident in the calcarine, cuneus, and right fusiform area, indicating a neural basis for the adaptation of collectivist orientations in response to perceived infection threats.
Conclusions:
This study illuminates the neural underpinnings of the behavioral immune system, particularly highlighting how collectivism influences brain responses to infection threats. Our findings indicate that higher collectivist orientations are associated with reduced neural activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus and insula, suggesting an inhibitory cognitive and emotional response to health threat. Furthermore, shifts in collectivism scores were linked to changes in neural activity within the calcarine, cuneus, and right fusiform area, suggesting an adaptive neural mechanism in response to infection threats, potentially involving visual-emotional integration. These insights are pivotal for understanding the neural basis of cultural orientations like collectivism and their impact on health-related decision-making. Future research should delve into how these neural responses translate into behavioral outcomes and their long-term effects on health behavior in various cultural setting.
Education, History and Social Aspects of Brain Imaging:
Education, History and Social Aspects of Brain Imaging
Emotion, Motivation and Social Neuroscience:
Social Cognition
Social Neuroscience Other 1
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Activation (eg. BOLD task-fMRI) 2
Keywords:
Cognition
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Other - Behavioral Immune System, Collectivism, Infection Perception
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
Fukukawa, Y. et al., (2014), ‘Development of a Japanese version of the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Scale.’, The Japanese Journal of Psychology, 85(2), 188–195.
Triandis, H.C., & Gelfand, M.J. (1998). ‘Converging measurement of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism.’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(1), 118-128.
Thornhill, R. et al., (2014), ‘The parasite-stress theory of sociality, the behavioral immune system, and human social and cognitive uniqueness.’, Evolution and Human Behavior, 35(5), 376-388.
Tybur, J.M. et al., (2020), ‘Preregistered Direct Replication of 'Sick Body, Vigilant Mind: The Biological Immune System Activates the Behavioral Immune System'.’, Psychological Science, 31(10), 1241–1253.
Schaller, M. & Justin H, P. (2011), ‘The Behavioral Immune System (and Why It Matters).’, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(2), 99-103.