Factor structure of the disgust scale-revised in an adolescent sample

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Existing research on the Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R) primarily uses adult samples.
• Understanding disgust is crucial for developmental and social psychology research.
• Adolescent samples are underrepresented in studies of disgust's structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the factor structure of the Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R) in an adolescent population.
• To assess the psychometric properties and invariance of the DS-R across demographic subgroups.
• To extend current knowledge of disgust by investigating its structure in younger individuals.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on data from 637 adolescents.
• The factor structure of the DS-R was evaluated for invariance across gender, grade level, and racial subgroups.
• Item-intercept and latent factor mean invariance tests were performed.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors: Contagion, Mortality, and Contact Disgust.
• Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor model in the adolescent sample.
• While item means were invariant across grade level, differences were noted across race and gender. Latent factor means were invariant across race and grade, but not gender.

Conclusions:

• The Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R) demonstrates a reliable three-factor structure in adolescents.
• The findings suggest potential demographic variations in disgust experiences and measurement.
• Implications for the use and interpretation of the DS-R in adolescent research are discussed, emphasizing cultural and gender considerations.