Psychological Constructs- Pathogen Prevalence

This quote is stated by David Buss in his book Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind. The quote shows how Buss believes that humans have a behavioral immune system consisting of mechanisms that promote behavioral responses that will prevent individuals from getting infectious diseases. This is something we began to see during the Covid-19 pandemic, as people become fixated on cleanliness and disinfecting objects and surfaces to avoid getting the virus. 

This quote is stated by Frederick Aaderma in his article “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Invisible Life Forms That Threaten the Self”. The article examines the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on individuals diagnosed with OCD. In his article, Aaderma discusses how one-quarter to one-third of people diagnosed with OCD have contamination fears and decontamination habits such as compulsive hand washing and avoidance of potential contaminants. They are often seen as excessive cleaners and germaphobes, behaviors that are usually frowned upon. Because of this, Aardema raises the question of what will happen to individuals with OCD who throughout their treatments have been discouraged to engage in such practices. However, they are now required to follow new social norms such as wearing a mask and regularly washing hands to lower the risk and spread of COVID-19. 

This is an image of a Target store in Hackensack, N.J. It shows how all disinfecting wipes and other cleaning supplies were taken. This image highlights the high demand for cleaning supplies found in all stores as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals started to “panic buy” so they can have all the essential supplies to keep themselves and their families safe. As a result of the high demand, the prices of cleaning supplies increased.

This is an image of a New York City Subway car being disinfected in hopes of stopping the spread of the virus. The New York City subway will now be closed from 1 AM to 5 AM for daily cleaning. This image shows how drastic measures have been taken to stop the spread of the virus. 

This is a video of Trump giving a speech in which he personifies the virus by referring to the Coronavirus as an “invisible enemy”. He also refers to himself as a wartime president. This video is important because personifying viruses and germs does more harm than good. Individuals with contamination fears become more obsessed and those without contamination fears become more frightened. 

This quote is stated by Matthew Cantor and portrays the effects of COVID-19 on OCD in his article “I’ve Spent Years Taming the OCD Monster. Coronavirus Had Ruined Everything.” The quote highlights how the lines between irrational and rational have become blurred because the threat he has always perceived due to his OCD is no longer imaginary, it is real. This is an example of an individual who's obsessive cleaning habits were once frowned upon but are now being encouraged to stop the spread of the virus.