Abstract
Behaviors that minimize exposure to sources of pathogens can carry opportunity costs. Consequently, how individuals resolve the tradeoff between the benefits and costs of behavioral immune responses should be sensitive to the extent to which they are vulnerable to infectious diseases. However, although it is a strong prediction of this functional flexibility principle, there is little compelling evidence that individuals with stronger physiological immune responses show weaker behavioral immune responses. Here we show that men with the combination of high testosterone and low cortisol levels, a hormonal profile recently found to be associated with particularly strong physiological immune responses, show weaker preferences for color cues associated with carotenoid pigmentation. Since carotenoid cues are thought to index vulnerability to infectious illnesses, our results are consistent with the functional flexibility principle's prediction that individuals with stronger physiological immune responses show weaker behavioral immune responses.
Highlights
Pathogens have been a major selection pressure on all organisms, including humans (Schaller, 2011; Schaller et al, 2015; Schaller and Park, 2011; Tybur and Gangestad, 2011) The footprint of this selection pressure can be seen in the complex, effective mechanisms involved in the physiological immune system, such as antibody production (Czerkinsky et al, 1987)
Our analyses of preferences for color cues in faces revealed that men with higher testosterone levels generally showed weaker preferences for yellower and darker skin coloration, which are characteristic of increased carotenoid pigmentation (Lefevre et al, 2013, Lefevre and Perrett, 2014; Whitehead et al, 2012a, 2012b)
Previous research has demonstrated that men with the combination of high testosterone and low cortisol show the strongest physiological immune responses (Rantala et al, 2012), while other research has implicated carotenoids in immune function (Hughes, 1999; Sies, 1993)
Summary
Pathogens have been a major selection pressure on all organisms, including humans (Schaller, 2011; Schaller et al, 2015; Schaller and Park, 2011; Tybur and Gangestad, 2011) The footprint of this selection pressure can be seen in the complex, effective mechanisms involved in the physiological immune system, such as antibody production (Czerkinsky et al, 1987) In addition to this physiological immune system, recent research has revealed the existence of a behavioral immune system that functions to prevent and manage infectious diseases.
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