What is the psychology behind the feeling of 'the ick' that women sometimes experience towards men?

In contemporary romance, the "ick" is predominantly felt by females and dreaded by males.

In recent years, the term "partner disgust" has become popular on social media, expressing a sense of revulsion towards a partner's behavior, appearance, and other traits.

Some common pet peeves include people chewing with their mouths open, wearing flip-flops or tripping over their own feet while walking.

The list has been refined to a more specific set of icks that are commonly blasted on the internet, such as dislike for how men chase after a ping-pong ball or use a debit card instead of a credit card on a date.

Primal instinct

According to National Geographic, the "ick" feeling is linked to a fundamental, instinctual biological response.

In several primate species, including humans, adult females are more sensitive to grossness than males, according to a scientific study by NatGeo.

The report stated that female gray mouse lemurs and Japanese macaques are more likely to turn up their noses at contaminated food, while female western lowland gorillas and olive baboons tend to avoid fellow animals with skin infections.

According to scientists, this caution leads to a lower incidence of infectious disease in females.

A cognitive ecologist at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, France, stated to NatGeo that there is a "defensive strength in the 'yuck'."

One possible reason why female primates live longer than males is due to their selectivity in diet and social interactions.

"Scientists don’t know why lots of female animals — including humans — are more easily grossed out than males."

A National Geographic contributing writer based in Denmark, Elizabeth Anne Brown, provided her insights on these findings.

Female animals, including humans, are more easily grossed out than males, according to a scientist who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital.

"However, 'yuck' functions as an advanced sentinel for our immune system, restricting our exposure to harmful agents such as parasites and bacteria."

According to Brown, females of certain primate species are highly selective in their mate choices and will reject any suitors who exhibit symptoms of STDs.

If a western lowland gorilla in a troop develops pale blotches on his face, which is a symptom of treponema infection, some females will leave the troop and search for an uninfected male.

"These female gorillas are extremely serious about not taking "the ick," so they leave town and start a new life."

In analyzing Japanese macaques, Sarabian observed that females would meticulously clean their acorns of any leaf litter before consuming them, while males were more likely to quickly swallow their food without a second thought.

"Unfortunately, our primate cousins can only provide dating advice about being cautious about STDs."

The psychology of feeling icky

In "Unstoppable Brain," Dr. Kyra Bobinet, a California behavioral neuroscientist, explains the brain's response to disgust.

The habenula, a region of the brain, controls our aversion towards things we dislike, want to avoid, or recoil from, including the ick.

According to the expert, the habenula, a central part of the brain, is involved in various important functions such as motivation and decision-making.

Bobinet stated that this area, when activated, "destroys our drive to attempt."

"This part of your brain is searching for anything that won't work out for you," she stated. "It has a negative outlook."

The expert advises those who feel uncomfortable to change their perspective on the situation.

Bobinet concurred that women are more likely to experience self-awareness of "icky" emotions due to their biological role in childbearing.

"We must be cautious of our surroundings to safeguard the baby from hazards, including fumes," she emphasized.

The role of social media

Social media takes the "ick" to an extreme, resulting in being overly picky and narrow-minded, as stated by Bobinet.

The expert suggested that unrealistic criteria for a partner can interfere with dating.

According to M. David Rudd, PhD, a distinguished professor of psychology at The University of Memphis, there are "certainly evolutionary explanations" for disgust among different genders.

He emphasized the significance of considering social learning and reinforcement resulting from social media's widespread influence when analyzing current events, as he stated to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Rudd pointed out that social media creators are driven by attention and financial gain, which can influence trends more than any significant evolutionary purpose.

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Those who are most susceptible to imitating social media behavior are often those who require the primary motivators to begin with, with attention being the primary one, swiftly followed by money, as he stated.

"Interpreting evolutionary benefits in this context is likely to result in high error rates."