Blueberry comments on Hacking the CEV for Fun and Profit - Less Wrong

52 Post author: Wei_Dai 03 June 2010 08:30PM

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Comment author: Blueberry 05 June 2010 06:40:09PM 3 points [-]

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The associations between prevalence and cultural dimensions are consistent with the prediction that T. gondii can influence human culture. Just as individuals infected with T. gondii score themselves higher in the neurotic factor guilt-proneness, nations with high T. gondii prevalence had a higher aggregate neuroticism score. In addition, Western nations with high T. gondii prevalence were higher in the ‘neurotic’ cultural dimensions of masculine sex roles and uncertainty avoidance. These results were predicted by a logical scaling-up from individuals to aggregate personalities to cultural dimensions.

Can the common brain parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, influence human culture?