Explaining illness with evil: Pathogen prevalence fosters moral vitalism

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dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Melbourne - Bastian, Brock
dc.contributor.affiliationLisbon University Institute - Vauclair, Christin-Melanie
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Edinburgh - Loughnan, Steve
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Bath - Bain, Paul
dc.contributor.affiliationThe University of Texas at Austin - Ashokkumar, Ashwini
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Toulouse II - Le Mirail - Becker, Maja
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Warsaw - Bilewicz, Michal
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversitas Kristen Indonesia - Collier-Baker, Emma
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Lisbon - Crespo, Carla
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of California, Davis - Eastwick, Paul W.
dc.contributor.affiliationVictoria University of Wellington - Fischer, Ronald
dc.contributor.affiliationSaarland University - Friese, Malte
dc.contributor.affiliationNational University of Distance Education - Gómez, Ángel
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversidade Federal do Espírito Santo - Guerra, Valeschka M.
dc.contributor.affiliationCoating Consultancy - Guevara, Jose Luis Castellanos
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Applied Management Studies - Hanke, Katja
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of the West of England - Hooper, Nic
dc.contributor.affiliationNational Tsing Hua University - Huang, Li-Li
dc.contributor.affiliationSun Yat-sen University - Junqi, Shi
dc.contributor.affiliationNagoya University - Karasawa, Minoru
dc.contributor.affiliationKU Leuven - Kuppens, Peter
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Oslo - Leknes, Siri
dc.contributor.affiliationMEF University - Peker, Müjde
dc.contributor.affiliationCentral University of Venezuela - Pelay, Cesar
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Kent - Pina, Afoditi
dc.contributor.affiliationRussian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration - Sachkova, Marianna
dc.contributor.affiliationInterdisciplinary Center Herzliya - Saguy, Tamar
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Helsinki - Silfver-Kuhalampi, Mia
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Helsinki - Sortheix, Florencia
dc.contributor.affiliationSingapore Management University - Tong, Jennifer
dc.contributor.affiliationLingnan University - Yeung, Victoria Wai-lan
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Melbourne - Duffy, Jacob
dc.contributor.affiliationThe University of Texas at Austin - Swann, Jr., William B.
dc.contributor.authorBastian, Brock
dc.contributor.authorVauclair, Christin-Melanie
dc.contributor.authorLoughnan, Steve
dc.contributor.authorBain, Paul
dc.contributor.authorAshokkumar, Ashwini
dc.contributor.authorBecker, Maja
dc.contributor.authorBilewicz, Michal
dc.contributor.authorCollier-Baker, Emma
dc.contributor.authorCrespo, Carla
dc.contributor.authorEastwick, Paul W.
dc.contributor.authorFischer, Ronald
dc.contributor.authorFriese, Malte
dc.contributor.authorGómez, Ángel
dc.contributor.authorGuerra, Valeschka M.
dc.contributor.authorGuevara, Jose Luis Castellanos
dc.contributor.authorHanke, Katja
dc.contributor.authorHooper, Nic
dc.contributor.authorHuang, Li-Li
dc.contributor.authorJunqi, Shi
dc.contributor.authorKarasawa, Minoru
dc.contributor.authorKuppens, Peter
dc.contributor.authorLeknes, Siri
dc.contributor.authorPeker, Müjde
dc.contributor.authorPelay, Cesar
dc.contributor.authorPina, Afoditi
dc.contributor.authorSachkova, Marianna
dc.contributor.authorSaguy, Tamar
dc.contributor.authorSilfver-Kuhalampi, Mia
dc.contributor.authorSortheix, Florencia
dc.contributor.authorTong, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorYeung, Victoria Wai-lan
dc.contributor.authorDuffy, Jacob
dc.contributor.authorSwann, Jr., William B.
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-24T15:23:16Z
dc.date.issued2019-10-18
dc.date.issued2019-10-18
dc.descriptionPathogens represent a significant threat to human health leading to the emergence of strategies designed to help manage their negative impact. We examined how spiritual beliefs developed to explain and predict the devastating effects of pathogens and spread of infectious disease. Analysis of existing data in Studies 1 and 2 suggests that moral vitalism (beliefs about spiritual forces of evil) is higher in geographical regions characterized by historical higher levels of pathogens. Furthermore, drawing on a sample of 3,140 participants from 28 countries in Study 3, we found that historical higher levels of pathogens were associated with stronger endorsement of moral vitalistic beliefs. Furthermore, endorsement of moral vitalistic beliefs statistically mediated the previously reported relationship between pathogen prevalence and conservative ideologies, suggesting these beliefs reinforce behavioral strategies which function to prevent infection. We conclude that moral vitalism may be adaptive: by emphasizing concerns over contagion, it provided an explanatory model that enabled human groups to reduce rates of contagious disease.
dc.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jq2bvq85d
dc.identifier.urihttps://hydatakatalogi-test-24.it.helsinki.fi/handle/123456789/11062
dc.rightsOpen
dc.rights.licensecc-zero
dc.titleExplaining illness with evil: Pathogen prevalence fosters moral vitalism
dc.typedataset
dc.typedataset

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