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This research investigates how pregnancy stages and perceived threats influence women's social interaction willingness.

February 28, 2026Evolutionary Psychology0 citationsOpen Access

Reduced Readiness for Social Interaction as a Strategy for Pathogen Avoidance by Women in Various Stages of Pregnancy and Postpartum

NFNatalia Frankowska MPMagda Piórkowska MOMichał Olszanowski

Key Points

This research investigates how pregnancy stages and perceived threats influence women's social interaction willingness.
Conducted online surveys in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Collected data from two studies: a cross-sectional study with 425 participants and a longitudinal study with 112 participants.
Assessed willingness to engage socially with individuals displaying infection signs across different pregnancy stages.
Measured perceived vulnerability to disease and COVID-19 threat.
Findings did not support heightened disease avoidance in early pregnancy as predicted by the Compensatory Prophylaxis Hypothesis.
Social avoidance was not related to the pregnancy stage but significantly linked to perceived vulnerability to disease and COVID-19 threat.

Abstract

The Behavioral Immune System (BIS) drives disgust-based avoidance, but its response to immunological changes during pregnancy is understudied. The Compensatory Prophylaxis Hypothesis (CPH) predicts heightened disease-avoidant social behavior in early pregnancy due to immunosuppression. We examined whether first-trimester women show reduced willingness to engage with outgroup members or individuals displaying infection signs compared to later pregnancy stages and postpartum. We also assessed moderation by perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) and perceived COVID-19 threat. Data were collected in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic via online surveys in two studies. In the cross-sectional Study 1 (N = 425, age 18-46, M = 29.64, SD = 5.37), pregnant participants at different stages of pregnancy assessed their willingness to engage in social contact with individuals displaying or not displaying infection cues shown in photographs, and then completed measures of PVD and Perceived Threat of COVID-19. The longitudinal Study 2 (N = 112, age 22-41, M = 30.14, SD = 4.05) employed the same procedure, administered four times-during the first, second, and third trimesters, and postpartum. Findings did not support CPH. Social avoidance was unrelated to the pregnancy stage but significantly associated with PVD and COVID-19 threat. Results underscore the situational and individual flexibility of BIS responses.

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