Disgust as an essentialist emotion that signals nonviolent outgrouping with potentially low social costs.

Abstract

When a person states that s/he is disgusted by an outgroup, what can we conclude about his/her attitudes, beliefs, and character? Based on an analysis of physical disgust, we predicted that expressing disgust toward a social group would convey a belief that this group possesses a negative essence; namely, that it has a biological basis, and clear boundaries, and that its members share immutable, inherent characteristics. Because being disgusting violates the moral foundation of purity, we also predicted that expressing disgust toward a social group would convey moral condemnation of that group. In three studies, we found that an expression of disgust (vs. anger, hate) toward homosexuals (Studies 1 and 3) and Arabs (Study 2) was perceived as conveying a negative and essentializing attitude toward that group and a perception of this group as impure and immoral. Expressions of disgust conveyed a more avoidant yet less violent and a less prejudiced (and therefore more legitimate) attitude than expressions of hate. Similar results were obtained in Study 4, in which beliefs were expressed toward unidentified social groups and participants had to indicate which emotions accompany that belief. (PsycINFO Database Record

The Social Effects of Emotions

“…Other work suggests that expressions of disgust and anger inform inferences of moral motivations and selfinterest, respectively (Kupfer & Giner-Sorolla 2017). Due to their association with morality and purity, expressions of disgust toward social groups convey moral condemnation (Katzir et al 2019).…”

Cultivating Disgust: Prospects and Moral Implications

“…First, there’s the contamination connection: behaviors such as hypocrisy and cheating are behaviors that can contaminate beneficial social interactions (Boehm, 2012; Fischbacher et al, 2001; Kumar, 2017; Plakias, 2018). Moreover, while these behaviors are unlike core and taboo-oriented disgust elicitors in that they lack an overt connection to pathogen-related features (decay, bodily fluid), empirical work suggests they are nonetheless conceptually marked as the actions of someone with a deviant, degraded, or otherwise corrupting character (Giner-Sorolla & Chapman, 2017; Giner-Sorolla et al, 2018; Katzir et al, 2018, Study 2). Finally, behaviors like cruelty and cheating can elicit disgust’s characteristic responses, including cleanliness behavior (Jones & Fitness, 2008, Study 1), reduced consumption (Chan et al, 2014), and reject/purge/avoid efforts (Chapman et al, 2009).…”

Exploring Motivated Reasoning in Polarization over the Unfolding 2023 Judicial Reform in Israel

“…In Israel, nationalities are significantly confounded with ethno-religious identities 61,62 (e.g., Jewish for the majority group). These identities are perceived as exclusive, genetically-based and immutable 63,64 , especially by religious groups 65 , present a relevant axis of political decision-making 66 , and are different from the inclusive civic identity (i.e., Israeli) which is common to all citizens 61 . Different from blind patriotism, constructive patriotism reflects a more inclusive view of national belonging and manifests in acceptance of critical statements about one's nation, its history, culture, politics, and people.…”