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Disgust sensitivity predicts defensive responding to mortality salience
Nicholas J Kelley1, Adrienne L Crowell1, David Tang1
1Department of Psychology.
Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|March 17, 2015
Summary
Disgust sensitivity enhances psychological self-defense against existential threats like mortality salience. Higher disgust sensitivity strengthens worldview defense and future optimism when mortality is salient.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Existential Psychology
Background:
- Disgust is traditionally understood as a protective mechanism against physical threats.
- The authors propose that disgust also serves to protect the psychological self.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between disgust sensitivity and defensive responses to mortality salience.
- To explore if disgust sensitivity influences terror management processes.
Main Methods:
- Three studies were conducted, each employing a measure of individual disgust sensitivity.
- A manipulation of mortality salience was used across studies.
- Dependent measures assessed defensive responding, including worldview defense, future optimism, and delay discounting.
Main Results:
- Disgust sensitivity positively predicted increased worldview defense when mortality was salient.
- Higher disgust sensitivity correlated with greater optimism about the future under mortality salience conditions.
- Individuals high in disgust sensitivity exhibited reduced delay discounting (valued the future more) when mortality was salient.
Conclusions:
- Disgust sensitivity is a significant factor in understanding reactions to mortality salience.
- Disgust responses appear to protect against both physical and psychological threats, including existential concerns.
- Findings support the dual protective role of disgust in managing physical and psychological well-being.
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