Perceptual and cognitive determinants of tactile disgust

Abstract

Tactile cues are said to be potent elicitors of disgust and reliable markers of disease. Despite this, no previous study had explored what the full range of tactile properties are that cue disgust, nor how interpretation of these sensations influences disgust. To answer these questions, participants were asked to touch nine objects, selected to cover the range of tactile properties, and evaluate their sensory, affective, and risk-based characteristics (primarily how sick they thought the object would make them). Object contact was manipulated in four ways, with participants randomly allocated to corresponding groups—one that could see the objects (i.e., the control) and three that could not (i.e., the blind groups). To manipulate disease risk interpretation of the objects, labelling was used on the blind groups, with one receiving Disgust-Labels, one True-Labels and one no labels. Disgust was strongly associated with sticky and wet textures, and moderately with viscous, cold, and lumpy textures, suggesting adherence-to-skin may predict disgust. The participants in the disgust-labelled condition had the highest disgust ratings, and this was mediated by their increased sickness belief and fear of the objects. Object identification was poor when labels or visual cues were absent. Our findings suggest that tactile disgust may reflect a bottom-up sensory component—skin adhesion—moderated by judgements of disease-related threat.

Aversive textures and their role in food rejection

“…For adults, mushy may be perceived as temporally uninteresting, having no dynamic contrast throughout the eating process which leads to dislike (Pellegrino et al, 2019). From previous reports it was expected that sticky would also be a frequently listed aversive texture, however that was not the case (Saluja & Stevenson, 2019;Skolnick, 2013). This may be related to the association between sticky and sweetness (a pleasurable taste), as mono and di-saccharides are common sources of stickiness in human food.…”

“…Slimy and mushy, the dominant aversive textures, were characterized by mechanical properties, viscosity and hardness. Additionally, soft and slimy may provoke a sense of disgust as it may indicate microbial growth and pathogen presence (Saluja & Stevenson, 2019). For adults, mushy may be perceived as temporally uninteresting, having no dynamic contrast throughout the eating process which leads to dislike (Pellegrino et al, 2019).…”

“…Does the increase of food rejection due to physical touch sensitivity, measured by dynamic (e.g., tactile play) or acuity assessments, generalize across senses instead of being specific to texture? Moreover, does sensitivity transfer over to emotional constructs such as disgust which has been tied to texture aversion (Saluja & Stevenson, 2019). Lastly, as shown in the results, many of the foods rejected by adults were unprocessed, low‐calorie foods (e.g., mushrooms, tomatoes).…”

Conducting exposure and response prevention treatment for contamination fears during COVID-19: The behavioral immune system impact on clinician approaches to treatment

“…In establishing an assessment of chills, a four-factor measure was developed, assessing shivers, coldness, tingling, and goosebumps (Maruskin et al, 2012). Two of these, coldness and shivers, are more associated with negative affectivity; coldness is particularly associated with efforts at thermoregulation (Maruskin et al, 2012) and tactile sensations of disgust (Saluja & Stevenson, 2019).…”

Tactile disgust: Post-contact can be more disgusting than contact

“…The third is looking at the residue on the hand. While disgust at the first stage (i.e., termed object-contact here) has been relatively well examined (Croy et al, 2013; Oum et al, 2011; Saluja & Stevenson, 2019; Skolnick, 2013)—there has been no assessment of how disgust changes once the hand has left the object. This is surprising, as assessing disgust post-contact with an object, would seem to be important both for understanding tactile disgust, contamination and also behaviours like hand washing.…”