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“Disease Avoidance Hypothesis”

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

Synonyms

Behavioral immune system, Disgust, Infection, Pathogens

Definition

The disease avoidance hypothesis refers to the set of psychological processes that promote detection of, and aversion to, temporary or chronic pathogen threats as a means of reducing infection risk.

Introduction

Pathogens and parasites have long represented critical threats to human survival and wellbeing. In fact, management of infectious disease is one of the most fundamental problems humans have confronted over their evolutionary history (Ackerman et al. 2012). Even in modern times, pathogenic agents infect hundreds of millions of people, causing approximately 9,500,000 deaths (over 16 % of all deaths) worldwide per year (World Health Organization 2008). In turn, natural selection has shaped sophisticated defenses against invading pathogens such as the complex biological mechanisms comprising the physiological immune system. Although this system is remarkably effective at managing disease threats, it is...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Joshua M Ackerman

Authors
  1. Joshua M Ackerman
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Correspondence to Joshua M Ackerman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland Univ Dept of Psycholgy, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana Weekes-Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  3. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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Ackerman, J.M. (2016). “Disease Avoidance Hypothesis”. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2975-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2975-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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