Evolution & Human Behavior
Volume 26, Issue 4 , Pages 344-351 , July 2005

Elevated disgust sensitivity in the first trimester of pregnancy: Evidence supporting the compensatory prophylaxis hypothesis

  • Daniel M.T. Fessler

      Affiliations

    • Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095-1553, USA
    • Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 341 Haines Hall, Box 951553, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1553, U.S.A. Tel.: +1 310 794 9252; fax: +1 310 206 7833.
    • ,
  • Serena J. Eng

      Affiliations

    • Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095-1553, USA
    • Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA
    • ,
  • C. David Navarrete

      Affiliations

    • Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095-1553, USA
    • Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA

Received 18 October 2004

References 

  1. Curtis V, Aunger R, Rabie T. Evidence that disgust evolved to protect from risk of disease. Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences. Series B. 2004;271:S131–S133
  2. Curtis V, Biran A. Dirt, disgust, and disease: Is hygiene in our genes?. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine. 2001;44:17–31
  3. Fessler DMT. Luteal phase immunosuppression and meat eating. Rivista di Biologia/Biology Forum. 2001;94:407–430
  4. Fessler, D. M. T. (2002). Reproductive immunosuppression and diet: An evolutionary perspective on pregnancy sickness and meat consumption. Current Anthropology, 43, 19–39, 48–61.
  5. Fessler DMT, Navarrete CD. Domain-specific variation in disgust sensitivity across the menstrual cycle. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2003;24:406–417
  6. Fessler DMT, Navarrete CD. Meat is good to taboo: Dietary proscriptions as a product of the interaction of psychological mechanisms and social processes. Journal of Cognition and Culture. 2003;3:1–40
  7. Flaxman SM, Sherman PW. Morning sickness: A mechanism for protecting mother and embryo. Quarterly Review of Biology. 2000;75:113–148
  8. Haidt J, McCauley C, Rozin P. Individual differences in sensitivity to disgust: A scale sampling seven domains of disgust elicitors. Personality and Individual Differences. 1994;16:701–713
  9. Lacroix R, Eason E, Melzack R. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: A prospective study of its frequency, intensity, and patterns of change. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2000;182:931–937
  10. Nesse RM. Evolutionary explanations of emotions. Human Nature. 1990;1:261–289
  11. Quigley JF, Sherman MF, Sherman NC. Personality disorder symptoms, gender, and age as predictors of adolescent disgust sensitivity. Personality and Individual Differences. 1997;22:661–667
  12. Rozin P, Haidt J, McCauley C, Dunlop L, Ashmore M. Individual differences in disgust sensitivity: Comparisons and evaluations of paper-and-pencil versus behavioral measures. Journal of Research in Personality. 1999;33:330–351
  13. Rozin P, Haidt J, McCauley CR. Disgust. In:  Lewis M,  Haviland J editor. Handbook of emotions. New York: Guilford Press; 2000;p. 637–653

PII: S1090-5138(04)00107-2

doi: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2004.12.001

Evolution & Human Behavior
Volume 26, Issue 4 , Pages 344-351 , July 2005

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