Disgust sensitivity predicts intuitive disapproval of gays.

Abstract

Two studies demonstrate that a dispositional proneness to disgust ("disgust sensitivity") is associated with intuitive disapproval of gay people. Study 1 was based on previous research showing that people are more likely to describe a behavior as intentional when they see it as morally wrong (see Knobe, 2006, for a review). As predicted, the more disgust sensitive participants were, the more likely they were to describe an agent whose behavior had the side effect of causing gay men to kiss in public as having intentionally encouraged gay men to kiss publicly-even though most participants did not explicitly think it wrong to encourage gay men to kiss in public. No such effect occurred when subjects were asked about heterosexual kissing. Study 2 used the Implicit Association Test (IAT; Nosek, Banaji, & Greenwald, 2006) as a dependent measure. The more disgust sensitive participants were, the more they showed unfavorable automatic associations with gay people as opposed to heterosexuals. Two studies demonstrate that a dispositional proneness to disgust ("disgust sensitivity") is associated with intuitive disapproval of gay people. Study 1 was based on previous research showing that people are more likely to describe a behavior as intentional when they see it as morally wrong (see Knobe, 2006, for a review). As predicted, the more disgust sensitive participants were, the more likely they were to describe an agent whose behavior had the side effect of causing gay men to kiss in public as having intentionally encouraged gay men to kiss publicly-even though most participants did not explicitly think it wrong to encourage gay men to kiss in public. No such effect occurred when subjects were asked about heterosexual kissing. Study 2 used the Implicit Association Test (IAT; Nosek, Banaji, & Greenwald, 2006) as a dependent measure. The more disgust sensitive participants were, the more they showed unfavorable automatic associations with gay people as opposed to heterosexuals.

Moral elevation reduces prejudice against gay men

“…Prior research suggests that individual differences in disgust sensitivity are associated with sexual prejudice (Inbar et al, 2009). We replicated this effect across studies: disgust sensitivity was positively correlated with implicit, r(2896) = .12, p = 4.24 x 10 -10 , and explicit, r(3028) = .18, p = 1.60 x 10 -24 , sexual prejudice.…”

“…But if disgust makes people resist utilitarian conclusions, then perhaps moral elevation would soften that resistance? Disgust has already been shown to make moral judgments harsher (Wheatley & Haidt, 2005), particularly on matters related to sexual morality (Inbar et al, 2009;. In a similar manner, moral elevation may make moral judgments less harsh.…”

Moral emotions and the envisaging of mitigating circumstances for wrongdoing

“…Many studies have connected disgust to moral judgment (e.g., Inbar et al, 2009;Rozin et al, 1999;Schnall et al, 2008;Wheatley & Haidt, 2005). Still, the relationship between disgust and moral judgment is far from clear (see Haidt, 2001;Huebner, Dwyer, & Hauser, 2008;Hutcherson & Gross, 2011;Pizarro, Inbar, & Helion, 2011;Prinz, 2007;Russell et al, 2012).…”

Does Disgust Influence Moral Judgment?

“…Many of us believe that condemnations of homosexuality are a prime example, and there is some empirical evidence in support of it [e.g. Inbar, Pizarro, Knobe, and Bloom 2009]. The more controversial claim is that empirical research shows disgust can substantially influence a surprising range of moral judgments, including those concerning actions we don't ordinarily find revolting (e.g.…”