Imprint of ancestral and modern threats in human mind – experience of fear, disgust, and anger
IntroductionThreats to our survival are often posed by the environment in which humans have evolved or live today. Animal and human ancestors developed complex physiological and behavioral response systems to cope with two types of threats: immediate physical harm from predators or conspecifics, tri...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1520224/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841527867904622592 |
|---|---|
| author | Eva Landová Eva Landová Jakub Polák Jakub Polák Markéta Janovcová Iveta Štolhoferová Šárka Peterková Aleksandra Chomik Daniel Frynta |
| author_facet | Eva Landová Eva Landová Jakub Polák Jakub Polák Markéta Janovcová Iveta Štolhoferová Šárka Peterková Aleksandra Chomik Daniel Frynta |
| author_sort | Eva Landová |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThreats to our survival are often posed by the environment in which humans have evolved or live today. Animal and human ancestors developed complex physiological and behavioral response systems to cope with two types of threats: immediate physical harm from predators or conspecifics, triggering fear, and the risk of infections from parasites and pathogens leading to the evolution of the behavioral immune system (BIS) with disgust as the key emotion. Here we ask whether the BIS has adapted to protect us from pandemic risks or poisoning by modern toxic substances.MethodsWe have developed a survey comprised of 60 vignettes describing threats evoking fear and disgust belonging to one of the three main categories of threats: (1) ancestral, (2) modern, and (3) pandemic of airborne disease. Each vignette was evaluated on a 7-point Likert scale based on fear, disgust, and anger. Respondents also completed an assessment battery.ResultsThe results show that the strongest fear is triggered by modern threats (electricity, car accidents), while the highest disgust is evoked by ancient threats (body waste products, worms). Disgust does not respond to modern threat stimuli such as toxic substances or radioactivity as these evoke mainly fear and anger. A discriminant factor analysis classified nine out of 10 pandemic disgust vignettes into the ancestral disgust category, convincingly assigning the pandemic disgust threats to the ancestral type. Gender, age, and type of education were significant moderators of emotional responses across all threat categories.DiscussionOur study reveals that while fear is more context-dependent, particularly triggered by modern threats, disgust operates on an evolutionarily hardwired basis, making it less effective against contemporary risks. Furthermore, disgust experienced during a pandemic outbreak is more closely aligned with ancestral disgust-related threats tapping into evolutionary ancient survival circuits of the BIS. However, as disgust declines with age, the brain must adaptatively shift the emotional processing from disgust to fear to protect older adults from contamination risks. Finally, our study reveals that pandemic fear is better predicted by specific behaviors rather than general anxiety, suggesting a need for new assessments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f38427c7d05a41f48d58e0ba11ee7253 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-f38427c7d05a41f48d58e0ba11ee72532025-01-15T06:10:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-01-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.15202241520224Imprint of ancestral and modern threats in human mind – experience of fear, disgust, and angerEva Landová0Eva Landová1Jakub Polák2Jakub Polák3Markéta Janovcová4Iveta Štolhoferová5Šárka Peterková6Aleksandra Chomik7Daniel Frynta8Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaNational Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Psychology and Social Sciences, Ambis University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaIntroductionThreats to our survival are often posed by the environment in which humans have evolved or live today. Animal and human ancestors developed complex physiological and behavioral response systems to cope with two types of threats: immediate physical harm from predators or conspecifics, triggering fear, and the risk of infections from parasites and pathogens leading to the evolution of the behavioral immune system (BIS) with disgust as the key emotion. Here we ask whether the BIS has adapted to protect us from pandemic risks or poisoning by modern toxic substances.MethodsWe have developed a survey comprised of 60 vignettes describing threats evoking fear and disgust belonging to one of the three main categories of threats: (1) ancestral, (2) modern, and (3) pandemic of airborne disease. Each vignette was evaluated on a 7-point Likert scale based on fear, disgust, and anger. Respondents also completed an assessment battery.ResultsThe results show that the strongest fear is triggered by modern threats (electricity, car accidents), while the highest disgust is evoked by ancient threats (body waste products, worms). Disgust does not respond to modern threat stimuli such as toxic substances or radioactivity as these evoke mainly fear and anger. A discriminant factor analysis classified nine out of 10 pandemic disgust vignettes into the ancestral disgust category, convincingly assigning the pandemic disgust threats to the ancestral type. Gender, age, and type of education were significant moderators of emotional responses across all threat categories.DiscussionOur study reveals that while fear is more context-dependent, particularly triggered by modern threats, disgust operates on an evolutionarily hardwired basis, making it less effective against contemporary risks. Furthermore, disgust experienced during a pandemic outbreak is more closely aligned with ancestral disgust-related threats tapping into evolutionary ancient survival circuits of the BIS. However, as disgust declines with age, the brain must adaptatively shift the emotional processing from disgust to fear to protect older adults from contamination risks. Finally, our study reveals that pandemic fear is better predicted by specific behaviors rather than general anxiety, suggesting a need for new assessments.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1520224/fullbehavioral immune systemCOVID-19evolutionary psychologyfear modulepandemic |
| spellingShingle | Eva Landová Eva Landová Jakub Polák Jakub Polák Markéta Janovcová Iveta Štolhoferová Šárka Peterková Aleksandra Chomik Daniel Frynta Imprint of ancestral and modern threats in human mind – experience of fear, disgust, and anger Frontiers in Psychology behavioral immune system COVID-19 evolutionary psychology fear module pandemic |
| title | Imprint of ancestral and modern threats in human mind – experience of fear, disgust, and anger |
| title_full | Imprint of ancestral and modern threats in human mind – experience of fear, disgust, and anger |
| title_fullStr | Imprint of ancestral and modern threats in human mind – experience of fear, disgust, and anger |
| title_full_unstemmed | Imprint of ancestral and modern threats in human mind – experience of fear, disgust, and anger |
| title_short | Imprint of ancestral and modern threats in human mind – experience of fear, disgust, and anger |
| title_sort | imprint of ancestral and modern threats in human mind experience of fear disgust and anger |
| topic | behavioral immune system COVID-19 evolutionary psychology fear module pandemic |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1520224/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT evalandova imprintofancestralandmodernthreatsinhumanmindexperienceoffeardisgustandanger AT evalandova imprintofancestralandmodernthreatsinhumanmindexperienceoffeardisgustandanger AT jakubpolak imprintofancestralandmodernthreatsinhumanmindexperienceoffeardisgustandanger AT jakubpolak imprintofancestralandmodernthreatsinhumanmindexperienceoffeardisgustandanger AT marketajanovcova imprintofancestralandmodernthreatsinhumanmindexperienceoffeardisgustandanger AT ivetastolhoferova imprintofancestralandmodernthreatsinhumanmindexperienceoffeardisgustandanger AT sarkapeterkova imprintofancestralandmodernthreatsinhumanmindexperienceoffeardisgustandanger AT aleksandrachomik imprintofancestralandmodernthreatsinhumanmindexperienceoffeardisgustandanger AT danielfrynta imprintofancestralandmodernthreatsinhumanmindexperienceoffeardisgustandanger |