Usporedba različitih mjera bihevioralnog imunosnog sustava

master's thesis

• Title (english): Comparison of different measures of the behavioural immune system
• Author: Ema Marušić
• Mentor: Una Mikac (mentor)
• Committee member: Nataša Jokić-Begić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Antun Palanović (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of Psychology); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-09-23, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Psychology; Biological Psychology

Abstract

Bihevioralni imunosni sustav (BIS) razvio se kao adaptivni mehanizam koji uslijed detekcije patogena aktivira psihološke mehanizme s ciljem izbjegavanja prijenosa bolesti. U zadnje vrijeme BIS se sve intenzivnije istražuje, što prati i razvoj novih mjera. No, neke od tih mjera ukazuju na određeni stupanj preklapanja, te je cilj ovog rada istražiti diskriminativnu i konvergentnu valjanost podljestvica Patogenog gađenja (PG) i Averzije prema klicama (APK). PG je subskala Skale tri domene gađenja, razvijene kategorizacijom emocije gađenja u tri domene ovisno o evolucijskim mehanizmima koji su uvjetovali njihov razvoj, pritom PG odražava mehanizme izbjegavanja patogena. APK obuhvaća emocionalnu nelagodu izazvanu detekcijom patogena i dio je Skale percipirane ranjivosti na zaraze, razvijene kao samoprocjena psiholoških mehanizama BIS-a. U svrhu utvrđivanja njihove usporedivosti ispitano je sačinjavaju li one zajedno jedan ili dva faktora te razlikuju li se u odnosima s drugim varijablama. Konfirmatornom faktorskom analizom potvrđeno je da ljestvice bolje opisuju dva faktora nego jedan zajednički faktor. Usporedbom povezanosti s drugim varijablama nije jasno utvrđen izvor razlike među APK i PG, ali pojedini rezultati ukazuju da je PG u većoj mjeri povezano s varijablama koje obuhvaćaju emocionalne, a APK s varijablama koje obuhvaćaju bihevioralne mehanizme izbjegavanja patogena. Rezultati istraživanja omogućuju bolje razumijevanje mjera BIS-a i pružaju smjernice pri odabiru mjernog instrumenta ovisno o ciljevima istraživača koji proučavaju BIS.

Abstract (english)

The behavioural immune system (BIS) developed as an adaptive mechanism which, upon detection of pathogens, activates psychological mechanisms whose aim is to prevent the spread of disease. Recently, the BIS has been researched more intensely, with new measures developed. Some of these instruments point to a certain overlap, and thus, the goal of this research is to explore discriminant and convergent validity of the Pathogen disgust (PD) and Germ aversion (GA) subscales. PD is a subscale of the Three domains of disgust scale, developed by categorizing disgust into three domains depending on the evolutionary mechanisms driving their development, where PD reflects pathogen avoidance mechanisms. GA is a measure of emotional discomfort triggered by pathogen detection and a subscale of the Perceived vulnerability to disease scale, developed as a self-assessment of BIS psychological mechanisms. To compare them, we tested whether the subscales can be better described using one or two factors and whether they differ in their relationship with other variables. CFA showed that the subscales are better described using two factors rather than one. Comparing their correlations with other variables, a clear source of their difference was not found, but certain results point to stronger correlations between PD and measures of emotional mechanisms, and GA and measures of behavioural mechanisms of pathogen avoidance. The results of this research enable better understanding of BIS measures and provide guidelines for choosing instruments for BIS research.

• Keywords: bihevioralni imunosni sustav; averzija prema klicama; patogeno gađenje; konfirmatorna faktorska analiza; diskriminativna i konvergentna valjanost
• Keywords (english): behavioural immune system; germ aversion; pathogen disgust; confirmatory factor analysis; discriminant and convergent validity
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:542194
• Study programme: Title: Psychology; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra psihologije (magistar/magistra psihologije)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-09-27 18:20:32