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Four studies yield limited evidence for prepared (disgust) learning via evaluative conditioning
Çağla Çınar1, Paola Perone2, Joshua M Tybur3
1Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute for Brain and Behavior, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Appetite
|February 11, 2024
Summary
This study explored specialized aversion learning for pathogen threats. While results were inconsistent, a meta-analysis showed stronger conditioning for meats paired with pathogen-relevant negative stimuli.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Specialized learning mechanisms may enhance retention of associations with ancestrally prevalent threats.
- Research on specialized aversion learning for pathogen threats is limited.
- Understanding pathogen avoidance learning is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate specialized aversion learning for pathogen threats.
- To test if foods are more readily associated with pathogen-related negative content than non-pathogen-related negative content.
- To examine both explicit and implicit learning mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Employed an evaluative conditioning procedure across four pre-registered studies (N > 1300).
- Paired negatively valenced (pathogen-relevant or -irrelevant), neutral, or positively valenced stimuli with foods (meats, plants) and non-foods (abstract shapes).
- Assessed stimulus evaluation via self-reports and the Affect Misattribution Procedure.
Main Results:
- General evaluative conditioning effects were observed across studies.
- Evidence for specialized food-pathogen association learning was inconsistent across explicit and implicit measures.
- A mega-analysis revealed stronger conditioning for meats paired with pathogen-relevant negative stimuli compared to pathogen-irrelevant negative stimuli.
Conclusions:
- While specialized aversion learning for food-pathogen associations is not consistently demonstrated, a trend suggests enhanced conditioning for pathogen-relevant stimuli.
- Findings contribute to understanding evolved mechanisms of threat avoidance.
- Further research is needed to clarify the nuances of pathogen-specific learning.
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