Pathogens, personality, and culture: disease prevalence predicts worldwide variability in sociosexuality, extraversion, and openness to experience.

Journal of personality and social psychology • Vol/Iss. 95(1) • American Psychological Association • • Published In • Pages: 212-221 •
By Schaller, Mark, Murray, Damian R.

Abstract

The authors test the relationship between disease prevalence and three different personality traits, with the expectation that pathogen load will be negatively associated with degree of sociosexuality, extraversion, and openness to experience. This prediction is supported by all three tests, which they theorize is an example of cultural behaviors adapting to reduce vulnerability to environmental risks.
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: jack.dunnington