Research on adaptive functions of emotions associated with Behavioral Immune System

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K04042
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social psychology
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Fukukawa Yasuyuki 早稲田大学, 文学学術院, 教授 (90393165)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小田 亮 名古屋工業大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (50303920) ; 平石 界 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 准教授 (50343108)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 行動免疫 / 適応 / 進化 / 国際比較 / 行動遺伝モデル / 感染脅威

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to clarify the psychological and biological basis of human emotional system that is called the Behavioral Immune System (BIS). A series of researches and experiments suggested that our basic behaviors such as eating and mating could be at least partially associated with the BIS. In addition to that, the findings obtained from our international comparison study and twin study indicated that the BIS is an adaptive individual tendency that is affected and formed both by environment and by heredity.

Free Research Field

健康心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は，行動免疫が，身体的免疫システムと同様に，我々の生存や繁殖に有利となるよう進化した適応的な心理的性質である可能性を示した点である．加えて本研究では，行動免疫システムが活性化することで，放射能汚染に関する風評被害や，エイジズムが増長する可能性が明らかとなった．これらの知見は，差別や偏見など，解決すべき今日的な社会問題に対する適切な対処方略を考案するうえで有用と考えられる．