Does Insect Aversion Lead to Increased Household Pesticide Use?

ABSTRACT: In many human societies, domestic insect pests often evoke feelings of disgust, fear and aversion. These common feelings may translate to increased use of household pesticides. No study has ever explored this possibility and consequently, efforts to mitigate public exposure to domestic pesticides typically focus on addressing knowledge gaps. We tested the hypothesis that negative emotions toward insects may motivate people to use pesticides, by interviewing 70 participants and assessing their insect aversion levels using a computerized test. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no effect of insect aversion on pesticide use. However, we did find that personal attributes and preferences such as wishing to avoid exposure to toxic chemicals, being vegetarian and taking frequent nature walks re

SUBMITTER: Leibovich-Raveh T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9224736 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature