Individual Differences in Sensitivity to Disgust: a Scale Sampling Seven Domains of Disgust Elicitors

We describe the development of a reliable measure of individual differences in disgust sensitivity. The 32-item Disgust Scale includes 2 true-false and 2 disgust-rating items for each of 7 domains of disgust elicitors (food, animals, body products, sex, body envelope violations, death. and hygiene) and for a domain of magical thinking (via similarity and contagion) that cuts across the 7 domains of elicitors. Correlations with other scales provide initial evidence of convergent and discriminant validity: the Disgust Scale correlates moderately with Sensation Seeking (r = 0.46) and with Fear of Death (u = 0.39). correlates weakly with Neuroticism (r = 0.23) and Psychoticism (r = 0,25),andcorrelates negligibly with Self-Monitoring and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Extraversion and Lie scales. Females score higher than males on the Disgust Scale. We suggest that the 7 domains of disgust elicitors all have in common that they remind us of our animality and. especially, of our mortality. Thus we see disgust as a defensive emotion that maintains and emphasizes the line between human and animal.