The Interpretation of Human Disgust, in Relation to the Disgust Scale
The Interpretation of Human Disgust, in Relation to the Disgust Scale
Abstract
This report was based on prior work by Rozin et al, in relation to how it is that humans perceive disgust. The objectives were to conduct an individual measures design experiment in order to see how disgust intensity varied between the sub scales used by Rozin, Haidt, & McCauley’s Disgust Scale (2000). The Participants used were mainly University undergraduates. This was done with the use of a questionnaire, including three photographs that could potentially trigger a disgust response in an individual, followed with four open questions to assist each one. The reason behind the methodology of using open questions was in order to gain qualitative data from each participant. The independent variable was the sub-scale of disgust used, this included Core, Interpersonal and Death, and the dependant variable was level of disgust shown. For this reason, the three photographs represented on of the three sub-scales, including photos of cockroaches on food (core), a obese naked man (interpersonal) and a dead man (death). The results showed that participants responded strongest to the Interpersonal sub-scale, followed by the Core, and that the Death sub-scale instead triggered feelings of sadness and empathy.
Introduction
This report is regarding humans and their feelings of disgust upon viewing certain images. Disgust is a negative emotion felt upon sensing an unpleasant stimulus. This could be any item regarded as infectious, dirty or inedible by the individual. Darwin, focusing more on food-related disgust, described disgust as “in its simplest sense, means something offensive to the taste. It is curious how readily this feeling is excited by anything unusual in the appearance, odour or nature of our food.” (C. Darwin, 1872). There are three main approaches used to attempt to explain the reason humans feel disgusted at certain stimuli, and these will be outlined below.
The
Abstract
This report was based on prior work by Rozin et al, in relation to how it is that humans perceive disgust. The objectives were to conduct an individual measures design experiment in order to see how disgust intensity varied between the sub scales used by Rozin, Haidt, & McCauley’s Disgust Scale (2000). The Participants used were mainly University undergraduates. This was done with the use of a questionnaire, including three photographs that could potentially trigger a disgust response in an individual, followed with four open questions to assist each one. The reason behind the methodology of using open questions was in order to gain qualitative data from each participant. The independent variable was the sub-scale of disgust used, this included Core, Interpersonal and Death, and the dependant variable was level of disgust shown. For this reason, the three photographs represented on of the three sub-scales, including photos of cockroaches on food (core), a obese naked man (interpersonal) and a dead man (death). The results showed that participants responded strongest to the Interpersonal sub-scale, followed by the Core, and that the Death sub-scale instead triggered feelings of sadness and empathy.
Introduction
This report is regarding humans and their feelings of disgust upon viewing certain images. Disgust is a negative emotion felt upon sensing an unpleasant stimulus. This could be any item regarded as infectious, dirty or inedible by the individual. Darwin, focusing more on food-related disgust, described disgust as “in its simplest sense, means something offensive to the taste. It is curious how readily this feeling is excited by anything unusual in the appearance, odour or nature of our food.” (C. Darwin, 1872). There are three main approaches used to attempt to explain the reason humans feel disgusted at certain stimuli, and these will be outlined below.
The