An internet-based study on the relation between disgust sensitivity and emetophobia.

J Anxiety Disord

Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Published: July 2008

AI Article Synopsis

  • The study investigates the relationship between disgust-related traits and emetophobia (fear of vomiting).
  • Participants included 172 individuals with emetophobia and 39 controls who completed various questionnaires.
  • Findings reveal that emetophobic individuals have higher levels of both disgust propensity and sensitivity, with disgust sensitivity being the strongest predictor of emetophobic symptoms.

Article Abstract

In the etiology of disgust-relevant psychopathology, such as emetophobia (fear of vomiting), two factors may be important: disgust propensity, i.e., how quickly the individual experiences disgust, and disgust sensitivity, i.e., how negatively does the individual evaluate this disgust experience [van Overveld, W. J. M., de Jong, P. J., Peters, M. L., Cavanagh, K., & Davey, G. C. L. (2006). Disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity: separate constructs that are differentially related to specific fears. Personality and Individual Differences, 41, 1241-1252]. Hence, the current study examines whether emetophobic participants display elevated levels of disgust propensity and sensitivity, and whether these factors are differentially related to emetophobia. A group of emetophobic members of a Dutch website on emetophobia (n=172), and a control group (n=39) completed an internet survey containing the Emetophobia Questionnaire, Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised, Disgust Scale, and Disgust Questionnaire. Results showed that the emetophobic group displayed significantly elevated levels of both disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity compared to the control group. Most importantly, disgust sensitivity consistently was the best predictor of emetophobic complaints.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2007.04.001DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

disgust sensitivity
20
disgust propensity
20
disgust
14
propensity disgust
8
elevated levels
8
levels disgust
8
propensity sensitivity
8
control group
8
sensitivity
7
emetophobia
5

Similar Publications

Disgust and Other Negative Emotions in the Relationship between Mental Contamination and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Actas Esp Psiquiatr

January 2025

Centro Universitário Investigação em Psicologia (CUIP) Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; Departamento de Psicologia e Ciências da Educação, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.

Background: Mental contamination (MC) refers to feelings of internal filthiness associated with contamination obsessions. Ego-dystonic memories and thoughts can trigger MC, although it can also be activated by trauma, which is associated with the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research shows that MC, negative emotions and PTSD can occur simultaneously.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Previous research on the visual processing of threats has largely overlooked the Q8 distinct effects of various types of threats, despite evidence suggesting unique brain activation patterns for specific fears. Our study examines the differential effects of threat types on attentional processes, focusing on snakes and blood-injury-injection (BII) stimuli. We sought to test whether these two types of threat stimuli, as taskirrelevant distractors, would lead to similar effects in a visual search task.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Trauma-related mental contamination, or a sense of dirtiness occurring without recent contact with a contaminant, is a distressing and often persistent phenomenon after sexual trauma. Following sexual trauma, cross-sectional work has demonstrated separate positive associations between mental contamination and 1) negative posttraumatic cognitions about oneself, the world, and/or self-blame and 2) disgust sensitivity - defined as the extent to which one is prone to distress when experiencing disgust. However, existing work has been primarily restricted to cross-sectional designs and has yet to consider the potential moderating role of disgust sensitivity in associations between negative posttraumatic cognitions and persistent mental contamination.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Humans live under constant threat from pathogenic microorganisms and minimizing such threat has been a major evolutionary selective force in shaping human behavior and health. A particular adaptive mechanism against the harm caused by parasites and their infectiousness is disgust sensitivity, which has evolved to detect and avoid poisonous foods as well as bodily secretions harboring virulent microorganisms. This ubiquitous and reflexive behavior requires the integration of several internal and external sensory signals between the brain, the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and the gastrointestinal tract.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Trust is complex with various definitions and measurement scales, making it hard to compare studies and choose the right instruments.
  • Multiple studies identified six distinct factors of trust and narrowed them down to four key categories: confidence in others, belief in others' reliability, belief in others' honesty, and beliefs about others' trustworthiness.
  • The findings indicate that these four factors largely operate independently of demographics like sex and political stance and are linked to the personality trait of agreeableness, while also influencing decisions like acceptance of water recycling beyond basic biases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!