By enlisting the assistance of a team of…
““By enlisting the assistance of a team of neuroimmunologists, however, Schaller succeeded in conducting one of the few studies to address the question. As in many of his previous trials, subjects were shown a disease-y slide show, but with one major difference: Immediately before and after the presentation, their blood was drawn and mixed in a test tube with a pathogen surface marker to determine how aggressively their white blood cells countered the challenger. Specifically, the investigators looked to see if arousing subjects’ disgust spurred their white blood cells to produce higher amounts of a pathogen-fighting substance called interleukin 6 (IL-6). It did—and by a whopping 24 percent.””
About This Quote
Source Journal Article: Immunology Study on Disgust and IL-6, 2022
Disgust can boost immune response, shown by a 24% rise in IL-6 after exposure to disease imagery.
In simple terms: Disgust may enhance body’s disease-fighting chemicals.
Key Takeaway
Consider emotional triggers that affect health.
Themes
health
psychology
immunology
emotion
Mood
cautious
inquisitive
balanced
Type
empirical
experimental
When to use this quote
- clinical trials
- public health messaging
- stress management
- behavioral interventions
Key Concepts
disgust
IL-6
immune activation
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the risks of using disgust in health campaigns?
- How might individual differences affect this response?
A Different Perspective
Emotional manipulation may raise ethical concerns in research.