Ageing and disgust: Is old age associated with harsher moral judgements?

The physical decay of the elderly can cause disgust and social rejection. This rejection may be a problem for older people leading them to exclusion. However, although association between old age has always been dealt with in art, literature, religion popular consciousness, recent experimental studies on have not paid it attention deserves. To address this need, paper analyses strength using two studies. After presenting some central widely-accepted elements about its moralising stigmatising nature, first study starts well-established assumption literature: disgust, which is emotion, easily leads moral i.e., provokes harsher judgments those who us. If case, should more severely judged than youth if they do something immoral, disgusting, or both. Our results, however, challenge assumption, finding that are less harshly. result replicated Study 2 also shows higher sensitivity judgment, regardless vignette actor. interaction analysis establishes disgust-sensitive participants condescending younger people. us think greater likely source hostility toward elderly, lesser lead paternalistic attitudes based compassion.