Pathogen prevalence predicts human cross-cultural variability in individualism/collectivism
Open accessAbstract
Pathogenic diseases impose selection pressures on the social behaviour of host populations. In humans (Homo sapiens), many psychological phenomena appear to serve an antipathogen defence function. One broad implication is the existence of cross-cultural differences in human cognition and behaviour contingent upon the relative presence of pathogens in the local ecology. We focus specifically on one fundamental cultural variable: differences in individualistic versus collectivist values. We suggest that specific behavioural manifestations of collectivism (e.g. ethnocentrism, conformity) can inhibit the transmission of pathogens; and so we hypothesize that collectivism (compared with individualism) will more often characterize cultures in regions that have historically had higher prevalence of pathogens. Drawing on epidemiological data and the findings of worldwide cross-national surveys of individualism/collectivism, our results support this hypothesis: the regional prevalence of pathogens has a strong positive correlation with cultural indicators of collectivism and a strong negative correlation with individualism. The correlations remain significant even when controlling for potential confounding variables. These results help to explain the origin of a paradigmatic cross-cultural difference, and reveal previously undocumented consequences of pathogenic diseases on the variable nature of human societies.
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In countries and cultures with historically higher parasite prevalence, people are less individualistic, exhibit lower openness, are more likely to conform, and more strongly endorse binding moral values.
“in countries and cultures characterized by historically higher prevalence of parasitic diseases, people are less individualistic, exhibit lower levels of dispositional openness to new things, are more likely to conform to majority opinion, and more strongly endorse “binding” moral values that emphasize group loyalty, obedience, and respect for authority [15], [16], [17], [18], [19].”
From Pathogens and Politics: Further Evidence That Parasite Prevalence Predicts Authoritarianism (2013) · cites this paper as [16]
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- Authors
- Fincher, C. L., Thornhill, R., Murray, D. R., & Schaller, M.
- Affiliations
- University of New Mexico (US)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Fincher, Corey L
- Venue
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2008-02-26
- Volume
- 275
- Issue
- 1640
- Pages
- 1279-1285
- ISSN
- 0080-4649 (ISSN-L)
- 0962-8452
- 1471-2954
- PMC
- PMC2602680
- OpenAlex
- W2150231411
- Cited by
- 1,014
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 30 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 50 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 85 · 2021: 135 · 2020: 121 · 2019: 49 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 46 · 2016: 75 · 2015: 45 · 2014: 50 · 2013: 56 · 2012: 30
- FWCI
- 40.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of British Columbia
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Social Sciences › Demography › Culture, Economy, and Development Studies
- Keywords
- individualism-collectivism, pathogen prevalence, cross-cultural variation, cultural evolution, ethnocentrism, conformity, disease transmission, social behavior, cross-national survey
- MeSH terms
- Communicable Diseases, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Humans, Models, Biological, Models, Psychological, Social Behavior, Epidemiologic Factors
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