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Activity Funded

Mapping contagion: Exploring spatial memory for (non-)contamination sources

Mapeando o contágio: Explorando a memória espacial para fontes de (não-)contaminação

Reference
2024.14641.PEX
Project Start Date
2026-02-01
Project End Date
2027-06-30
Principal Investigator
Scientific Area
Social sciences
Funding Program
Concurso para Projetos de Investigação de caráter Exploratório em Todos os Domínios Científicos 2024

Abstract

Pathogens are a major threat to human life. To cope with such threats, natural selection forged two unique yet synergistic systems, both driving toward the same goal: the individual’s survival. The biological immune system detects and destroys pathogens within the body, whereas the behavioral immune system (BIS) prevents contact with such pathogens in the first place. Potential contaminants in the environment are detected indirectly through the sensory system (e.g.,smelling spoiled food or observing illness signs in others), as pathogens are invisible to the naked eye. Upon recognizing these cues, the BIS is activated, triggering affective (e.g.,disgust), cognitive (e.g.,attention allocation), and behavioral (e.g.,avoidance) responses that work in an concerted manner to shield us from pathogen exposure. Despite its pivotal role in disease prevention, the BIS remains relatively understudied. This project focuses on the cognitive component of this system, specifically memory, which is believed to play a critical role in its functioning. Memory has been shown to better retain contaminated than uncontaminated items. Specifically, objects touched by sick people are better recalled than when the same objects were touched by healthy people. This project addresses, for the first time (to our best knowledge), a central question: did evolutionary pressures also optimize human spatial memory for the detection and retention of potential pathogenic threats? Just as our ancestors were more likely to survive by remembering which areas to avoid due to dangerous pathogens, modern humans should still rely on similar cognitive tools to navigate an increasingly complex world filled with health risks. We aim to investigate the unique intersection between memory and disease-avoidance by testing whether visuospatial memory is enhanced by contamination sources. We also aim to explore the proximate mechanisms underlying this potential mnemonic effect (which general aspects of memory are being recruited), focusing on the roles of emotional activation and attentional processes. To achieve these goals, we propose a two-step approach. First, we will conduct computerized laboratory-based studies based on innovative procedures developed in our previous work; these have proven effective in minimizing confounding factors (i.e.,uncontrolled item properties that could affect the processes under scrutiny), particularly item selection. Specifically, we will use both intentional and incidental learning paradigms, in which participants will encode objects presented at different locations on the computer screen. Later, they will be asked to recall the prior location of each object. Crucially, all participants will remember the location of the same items (e.g.,objects); the key difference between conditions will be whether objects were associated with contamination (e.g.,sick person) or non-contamination cues (e.g.,healthy person). We predict that memory for object locations will be enhanced when contextualized as potential vehicles of contamination, reflecting memory’s adaptive role. Secondly, we will integrate Virtual Reality (VR) technology to create immersive simulations, providing a deeper understanding of how individuals navigate environments and respond to contamination risks. The simultaneous tracking of eye movements and measurement of pupillary responses as participants interact with dynamic virtual scenarios, will allow us to explore how people allocate attention and are physiologically aroused by health-related threats. This innovative approach offers fresh avenues for investigating the contamination effect on memory while opening new opportunities to refine experimental designs and unlock the potential of VR in research. In addition to theoretical, procedural, and technological advancements, our discoveries hold promise for practical real-world applications. E.g., our findings could be applied to create VR-based training simulations to help healthcare workers better remember the spatial layout of contamination areas (e.g.,mapping which surfaces/objects were touched by infectious patients, tracking the movement patterns of potentially contaminated equipment, or recalling the exact locations where high-risk procedures were performed). Evidence-informed programs like these are more effective in encouraging preventive behaviors, ultimately improving public health outcomes and reducing healthcare-associated costs. Our team is a dynamic, interdisciplinary group of experts from Psychology and Computer Science, with a strong track-record of driving impactful research. We pioneered the study of the contamination effect and created innovative paradigms and research tools. We will also promote nurturing and training of young researchers by involving students at various academic levels. The project will be conducted at the University of Aveiro, WJCR, and IEETA, which are equipped with state-of-the-art research facilities and resources.

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade de Aveiro (UA)

Funding 59.997,96 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

59.997,96 €