Disgust sensitivity as a mediator of the sex differences in contamination fears

[Effects of Fear of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Social Distancing on Women's Suicidal Ideation: Mediating Effect of Depression]

PURPOSE

This study aimed to identify the mediating effects of depression amid the influence of fear and social distancing arising from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Korean women's suicidal ideation.

METHODS

A descriptive correlation study was conducted. Study participants, recruited by Hankook Research from March 2 to March 5, 2021, included 300 women aged 19 to 49 living in South Korea, and 100 people were randomly allocated and enlisted for each age group out of 700,000 Hankook Research Panels recruited in advance from 17 cities and provinces nationwide. Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire and analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and Hayes' Process Macro Model 4 with 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval via SPSS statistics 27.0.

RESULTS

Suicidal ideation was significantly correlated with fear of COVID-19 (r = .16, p = .006) and depression (r = .65, p < .001). The mediation effect of depression in the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and suicidal ideation was found to be significant (B = 0.40, boot 95% CI: 0.21~0.61). However, social distancing did not significantly affect suicidal ideation via depression (B = -0.79, boot 95% CI: -1.94~0.26).

CONCLUSION

It is necessary to develop and apply interventions to prevent depression and suicidal behaviors by continuously observing and reducing the negative psychological responses caused by COVID-19.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder-contamination fears, features, and treatment: novel smartphone therapies in light of global mental health and pandemics (COVID-19)

This review aims to shed light on the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with a focus on contamination fears. In addition, we will briefly review the current therapies for OCD and detail what their limitations are. A key focus will be on discussing how smartphone solutions may provide approaches to novel treatments, especially when considering global mental health and the challenges imposed by rural environments and limited resources; as well as restrictions imposed by world-wide pandemics such as COVID-19. In brief, research that questions this review will seek to address include: (1) What are the symptoms of contamination-related OCD? (2) How effective are current OCD therapies and what are their limitations? (3) How can novel technologies help mitigate challenges imposed by global mental health and pandemics/COVID-19.

Sex Drive as a Possible Mediator of the Gender Difference in the Prevalence of Paraphilic Interests in a Nonclinical Sample

There is a general gender difference in paraphilic interests, such that men report more interest (and greater engagement) in a variety of paraphilic behaviors. Using a nonclinical sample, Dawson et al. (Sexual Abuse, 28(1):20-45, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063214525645 ) found that the gender difference in paraphilic interests was eliminated when scores on measures of sex drive were used as mediators. However, their measures of sex drive were about more than just sex drive and included a measure of hypersexuality (i.e., distress, perceived lack of control, and problematic consequences of one's sexuality). This study had two aims: to replicate Dawson et al.'s mediation results (using the same measures and scoring methods), and to discern the effect of sex drive itself (by replacing their measure of hypersexuality with a measure of sex drive). A nonclinical sample of 517 men and 615 women completed an online questionnaire. As expected, men reported less repulsion than women for most paraphilic themes. The gender difference in paraphilic interests was reduced (but not eliminated) both when reproducing Dawson et al.'s analysis and when examining a mediation model focused on sex drive specifically. The same results were obtained when examining the paraphilic interest with the largest gender difference (i.e., voyeurism). A full mediation effect was obtained in an unplanned supplementary analysis using a factor score (derived from eight measures) putatively assessing sex drive. While the main findings are consistent with Dawson et al.'s conclusions that sex drive is a possible mediator, they also suggest that other factors need to be considered to help explain the gender difference in the prevalence of paraphilic interests.

Fear of contamination among older adults in the post-COVID-19 era

This study assesses older adults' fear of contamination in the post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era, examining the factors associated with this fear and investigating its effects on their well-being and use of primary healthcare, considering the moderating effects of activities of daily living (ADL) and multimorbidity in these two relationships. A cross-sectional study was conducted in primary healthcare centers in three regions in Saudi Arabia with a convenience sample of 444 older adults diagnosed with chronic diseases. The results indicated that 77.9% of older adults had high contamination fear, predicted by their age, education level, gender, ADL, and previous COVID-19 infection experience. Subjective well-being and the number of primary healthcare visits in the post-COVID-19 era were negatively affected by contamination fear and both ADL and multimorbidity moderated these relationships. In conclusion, the study confirmed the need to focus on older adults' contamination fear to mitigate its negative effects on well-being and critical primary healthcare visits.

Gender-related romantic attachment and serum oxytocin level difference in adult patients with obsessive compulsive disorder

Background

Given the scarcity of data on gender-related romantic attachment changes and the potential role of oxytocin (OT) in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive illness (OCD), the current study aimed to assess gender-related differences in romantic attachment characteristics and their relationship to serum oxytocin in a set of forty OCD cases compared with a similar group of healthy controls .Simultaneously examining the gender differences in serum oxytocin levels in OCD patients, the diagnosis of OCD patients was determined using DSM-5 criteria, and the severity of OCD was determined using the Y-BOCS rating scale. All of the patients were drug-free and not depressed. The romantic attachment was assessed using the “Experiences in Close Relationship” Questionnaire. Standard ELISA kits were used to assess plasma OT levels.

Results

Regarding romantic attachments, patients with obsessive compulsive disorder scored higher on the anxiety and avoidance domains than controls with no significant gender difference. Serum oxytocin was higher in patients with OCD than in healthy controls, indicating a possible underlying pathophysiology of the illness. Also, there was a significant gender difference, with female patients having higher serum oxytocin and symptoms severity being negatively associated.

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings propose that OT may play a role in OCD pathophysiology with gender specificity. Also, OCD associated with insecure romantic attachment.

The Factor Structure and Rasch Analysis of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) Among Chinese Students

The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) is a new one-dimensional scale used to measure fear of an individual about the COVID-19. Given the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation in China when our study was taking place, our aim was to translate and examine the applicability of the FCV-19S in Chinese students. The sample used for validation comprised 2,445 Chinese students. The psychometrical characteristics of the Chinese FCV-19S (FCV-19S-C) were tested using Rasch analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) proved the unidimensional structure of the model. Both infit and outfit mean square (MNSQ) values (0.69-1.31) and point-measure correlations (0.82-0.86) indicated a good model fit. Person-item separation and reliability values indicated good reliability of the scale. The person-item map revealed an acceptable level of match between the persons and the items. Differential item functioning of the FCV-19S-C showed no differences with respect to age or gender. FCV-19S-C scores were significantly associated with anxiety, stress, depression, ego-resilience, and general health. The FCV-19S-C was proven to be effective in measuring fear of Chinese students about the COVID-19.

Environmental and individual determinants of fecal avoidance in semi-free ranging woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii)

OBJECTIVES

Parasite selection pressures have driven the evolution of numerous behavioral defenses in host species, but recent studies revealed individual variation in their expression. As little is known about the factors causing heterogeneity among individuals in infection-avoidance behaviors, we investigated in woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii) the influence of several environmental and individual characteristics on the tendency to avoid food contaminated by soil and by their own and conspecifics' feces.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted feeding tests on 40 semi-free ranging individuals rescued from the pet trade. Using generalized linear mixed models, we investigated the effect of season, sex, age, dominance rank, and exposure to non-natural living conditions on feeding decisions.

RESULTS

Woolly monkeys did not avoid soil-contaminated food and equally avoided food contaminated by their own and conspecifics' feces. Individuals varied greatly in their level of fecal avoidance. Only females exhibited strong avoidance of fecally contaminated food, but adapted their behavior to food availability, highlighting the trade-off between nutritional intake and parasite avoidance. Additionally, low-ranking females, less competitive over food resources, exhibited lower avoidance than dominant ones. Juveniles were more cautious than adults, possibly to compensate for a higher parasite susceptibility. Finally, we reported an unknown effect of exposure to non-natural living conditions on behavioral defenses, as animals kept as household pets for an extended period apparently lost their ability to avoid fecally contaminated food.

CONCLUSION

We argue that striving to understand variation in infection-avoidance behaviors in natural populations is crucial to predict disease spread and inform conservation policies.

Contamination fear in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderated mediation quasi-experimental model of the effect of disgust on outgroup bias towards diaspora

Disgust sensitivity plays a key role in generating and maintaining outgroup biases. To test our hypotheses, we used a quasi-experimental between-subjects design, in which participants were randomly assigned to a disgust induction condition (N = 102) or a non-induction neutral group (N = 92). The induction scenario featured the return of the diaspora to their home country due to COVID-19 concerns. In one scenario, the diaspora lied about the country they arrived from, and in the other, there was no moral transgression. We hypothesized that the effect of disgust sensitivity on dehumanization and aggressive tendencies passed through contamination fear and the moderated mediation model indicated that this indirect effect was stronger for participants in the disgust-induction than in the non-induction group. This effect was found for biological dehumanization and passive aggression outcomes, both related to outgroup bias. Consistent with the role of disgust as a disease-avoidance mechanism, our results suggest that disgust could facilitate stronger outgroup bias in the context of a high health threat, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 Inventory: Measuring anxiety related to illness pandemic across college males and females

BACKGROUND

Due to close proximity in dormitories, classes, and social activities, college students have been identified as a vulnerable population throughout the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.

OBJECTIVES

This study tested properties of a new COVID-19 Inventory (C-19-I). It was expected that the measure would show acceptable validity and reliability, females would report greater COVID-19 anxiety than males, and the addition of gender would improve a regression model of COVID-19 anxiety.

METHOD

Participants were 201 college undergraduates who completed multiple self-report measures and two snack selection tasks.

RESULTS

The C-19-I showed a multifactor solution and acceptable psychometric properties. Females scored higher than males and were more likely than males to select a healthy snack after responding to questions about illness and contamination.

CONCLUSIONS

This study validates a new measure of COVID-19 anxiety and contributes to a deeper understanding of how college adults respond to pandemic illness.

Development and Validation of the Purity Orientation-Pollution Avoidance Scale: A Study With Japanese Sample

The moral foundations theory (MFT) proposes that there are five moral foundations that work as the standard to make moral judgments. Among them, the purity foundation is a complex concept. It is considered to be a distinctive foundation compared with the other ones partly because it involves religious beliefs. The assumption underlying the purity foundation is Christian beliefs, so the MFT was developed and made prevalent mostly in the Western cultures. However, because of that assumption, cultural differences in perceiving the purity foundation should be observed with a non-Western sample, such as Japan. It would be important to discuss and clarify the Japanese unique aspect of their orientation toward the pure and impure. We constituted a scale to measure people's tendency toward purity orientation-pollution avoidance (POPA), based on the purity/sanctity subscale of the MFT. For validation, we administered several scales along with POPA. In Study 1, we developed the scale and measured the relationship between the degree of one's POPA, disgust, and animism. We identified four factors as POPA subscales. In Study 2, we investigated the test-retest reliability of POPA and conducted questionnaire surveys to measure attitudes toward paranormal phenomena and the degree of concern for each of the moral foundations. The results showed the validity of the scale, based on the moderate correlations with other scales. The POPA can be a promising tool to better understand the phenomena involving the purity foundation in a Japanese context.

Adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale in the general Colombian population

The study aimed to adapt and explore the psychometric performance of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in the general Colombian population. The original FCV-19S is a 7-item scale that underwent an adaptation (Item 1 and 5 were deleted). From an online sample of 1,687 adults (59% female), exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed for versions of the scale with 6 and 5 items. Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega were calculated. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the 5-item scale (Fear of COVID-5) presented better indicators. In conclusion, the Fear of COVID-5 has acceptable performance in the Colombian population.

Fear of COVID-19 in Romania: Validation of the Romanian Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale Using Graded Response Model Analysis

One of the basic emotions generated by the COVID-19 pandemic is the fear of contacting this disease. The main aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Romanian version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), based on classical test theory and item response theory, namely, graded response model. The FCV-19S was translated into Romanian following a forward-backward translation procedure. The reliability and validity of the instrument were assessed in a sample of 809 adults (34.6% males; M_age = 32.61; SD  ±11.25; age range from 18 to 68 years). Results showed that the Romanian FCV-19S had very good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .88; McDonald’s omega = .89; composite reliability = .89). The confirmatory factor analysis for one-factor FCV-19S based on the maximum likelihood estimation method with Satorra-Bentler correction for non-normality proved that the model fitted well (CFI = .99, TLI = .97, RMSEA = .06, 90% CI [.05, .09], SRMR = .01). As for criterion-related validity, the fear of COVID-19 score correlated with depression (r = .25, p < .01), stress (r = .45, p < .01), resilience (r = − .22, p < .01) and happiness (r = −.33, p < .01). The heterotrait-monotrait criteria less than .85 certified the discriminant validity of the FCV-19S-RO. The GRM analysis highlighted robust psychometric properties of the scale and measurement invariance across gender. These findings emphasized validity for the use of Romanian version of FCV-19S and expanding the existing body of research on the fear of COVID-19. Overall, the current research contributes to the literature not only by validating the FCV-19S-RO but also by considering the positive psychology approach in the study of fear of COVID-19, emphasizing a negative relationship among resilience, happiness and fear in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attentional Processing of Disgust and Fear and Its Relationship With Contamination-Based Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms: Stronger Response Urgency to Disgusting Stimuli in Disgust-Prone Individuals

Disgust has recently been characterized as a low-urgency emotion, particularly compared to fear. The aim of the present study is to clarify whether behavioral inhibition during disgust engagement is characteristic of a low-urgency emotion and thus indicates self-imposed attentional avoidance in comparison to fear. Therefore, 54 healthy participants performed an emotional go/no-go task with disgust- and fear-relevant as well as neutral pictures. Furthermore, heart rate activity and facial muscle activity on the fear-specific m. corrugator supercilli and the disgust-specific m. levator labii were assessed. The results partially support the temporal urgency hypothesis of disgust. The emotion conditions significantly differed in emotional engagement and in the facial muscle activity of the m. levator labii as expected. However, contrary to our expectations, no differences between the emotion conditions regarding behavioral inhibition as well as heart rate change could be found. Furthermore, individuals with a higher-trait disgust proneness showed faster reactions and higher activity of the m. levator labii in response to disgust stimuli. The results show that different trait levels influence attentional engagement and physiological parameters but have only a small effect on behavioral inhibition.

Association Between Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Dimensions in Mothers and Psychopathology in Their Children

Background: The non-clinical presentation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in women may impact not only their daily lives and well-being but also increase the risk for emotional and behavioral problems in their children. This study aims to investigate the OCS dimension distribution in a large sample of mothers from a cohort of school age children and the association between these OCS dimensions with their own psychopathology, and with the presence of OCS and other psychopathology in their children. Method: Our final sample consisted of 2,511 mother-children dyads recruited from the elementary schools of two large cities. Throughout multiple regression analysis, we examined the correlations between demographic and clinical variables of mothers assessed by the Mini International Psychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale-Short Version (DY-BOCS-SV) with children's psychopathology status reported by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results: The overall prevalence of mothers who reported experiencing at least one OCS was 40% (N = 1,004). "Aggression/violence" was the most frequent symptom dimension (32.2%), followed by the "symmetry/ordering" (16.4%) and the "sexual/religious" dimensions (13.8%). There was a significant correlation between the presence of OCS and maternal psychopathology in general (p < 0.001, r = 0.397). Not only the presence but also the severity of the mother's OCS were strongly correlated to the total (p < 0.001), internalizing (p < 0.001), externalizing (p < 0.001), and OCS subscale scores (p < 0.001) on the CBCL. Conclusion: OCS dimensions are highly prevalent in women. Presence and severity of maternal OCS are related to children's psychopathology and behavioral problems.

The Effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak on Medical Students

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has influenced the whole world, where after the first case was diagnosed in Turkey, educational activities were suspended and partial curfews were implemented. This study was conducted to assess the concerns faced by the medical students about their professional life due to the disrupted educational activities and related psychological effects. Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey study, conducted with self-administered questionnaires on Bezmialem Vakif University medical students, during the pandemic. The questionnaire consists of queries about demographics, environmental factors, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scales. Results: A total of 178 students participated in the study, with a female-to-male ratio of 5:2. Of the total respondents, 19.7% were experiencing severe anxiety, 17.4% moderate anxiety, and 37.1% mild anxiety, according to the GAD-7; and 13.5% of the respondents were experiencing severe depression, 21.9% moderate-severe depression, and 23% mild depression according to the PHQ-9. There was no statistically significant difference between the grades in terms of GAD-7 or PHQ-9 scores. Male participants were more likely to have suicidal thoughts (p = 0.013). According to our study, the factors with the highest influence on students were as follows: "Major changes in personal life," "Disruption in educational activities," and "Covid-19 related anxiety of loss of relatives and contamination or infection." On average, women voted higher points for "Covid-19 related anxiety of loss of relatives and contamination." Conclusions: We found that a significant portion of students regardless of their year in medical school were profoundly affected by the pandemic process as is shown by their anxiety and depression scores. The disruption in educational activities is one of the main factors of these effects, and we believe that these should not be ignored, as they could in the future lead to a series of problems for medical education and students alike.

Disgust regulation between menstrual cycle phases: Differential effects of emotional suppression and reappraisal

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Immunosuppression is characteristic of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and is accompanied by an adaptive disgust response to reduce contact with pathogens. However, research has not examined the effects of emotion regulation on disgust during the menstrual cycle. Accordingly, the present study examines the effect of suppression and reappraisal on disgust during the luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle.

METHOD

Menstrual cycle phase was estimated in a sample of naturally cycling women (n = 73), and those in the follicular or luteal phase were assigned to suppress or reappraise disgust while watching a disgust-inducing video. Physiological arousal during the video and avoidance of disgust cues in a public restroom after the video were also assessed.

RESULTS

No differences were observed in self-reported disgust to the video between those who suppressed and those who reappraised in the luteal phase. However, women in the follicular phase who suppressed reported less disgust than those who reappraised. The emotion regulation strategies did not influence physiology during the video or avoidance after the video as a function of menstrual cycle phase.

LIMITATIONS

Hormone assay data was not collected to confirm menstrual cycle phase and a relatively small sample of naturally cycling women was used.

CONCLUSIONS

Suppression may be a more effective strategy than reappraisal for reducing verbal disgust in the follicular phase but not in the luteal phase. The implications of these findings for the treatment of disgust-based disorders among women are discussed.

Child Sexual Abuse and the Moralization of Purity

Recent studies were able to associate disgust with the moral domain of purity, as well as a heightened sensitivity to disgust with sexual victimization. However, no empirical evidence has yet to document the exact relation between sexual victimization and its impact on the moralization of purity. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and the moral domain of purity, by means of judgments toward three different types of disgust: pathogen, sexual and moral. To test this, The Three Domains of Disgust Scale (TDDS) was given to both CSA participants (n = 29) and to a non-sexually abused population (N-SAP; n = 31). . Results have shown a statistically significant difference between the CSA and N-SAP groups on the combined dependent variables (i.e., pathogen, sexual and moral disgust). However, only the sexual disgust domain, out of the other two domains has been found to hold significance. Furthermore, consistent with previous empirical findings, similar gender patterns of moral judgments have been found between the two groups (i.e., CSA and N-SAP), though with a statistical significance only in the sexual domain. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Disgust Sensitivity and Support for Organ Donation: Time to Take Disgust Seriously

BACKGROUND

There are currently roughly 10,000 Germans on the organ waiting list, and that number is over 113,000 in the USA. There is a clear need to increase support for organ donation in general and to increase the number of registered donors in particular.

OBJECTIVE

The current study examines the relationship between disgust sensitivity and attitudes towards organ donation and the possession of an organ donor card. The study also examines other important correlates of attitudes towards organ donation, such as fear, trust, and knowledge regarding organ donation.

DESIGN

The study involved an online questionnaire.

PARTICIPANTS

Six hundred and eighteen Germans filled out an online questionnaire.

MAIN MEASURES

The questionnaire contained the following measures: attitude towards organ donation, disgust sensitivity, trust towards the medical community, fear of organ donation, and knowledge regarding organ donation, as well as such demographic information as age, biological sex, degree of formal education, religious affiliation and level of religiosity, political orientation, and possession of an organ donor card.

KEY RESULTS

The results replicated previous findings regarding the influence of trust and fear on attitudes towards organ donation, but only partially supported those regarding the importance of knowledge. Importantly, disgust sensitivity had a significant impact on attitudes towards organ donation, even after controlling for other variables hereto identified as important correlates in the literature (e.g., fear, trust, knowledge). What is more, there was a significant interaction between biological sex and disgust sensitivity indicating that the relationship between disgust sensitivity and attitudes towards organ donation was stronger among women than men.

CONCLUSIONS

While disgust is often disregarded as a "silly," bairnish emotion and unbefitting of discussions of serious issues such as organ donation, in line with the "affective turn" in psychology, the results of the current study suggest that in order to improve attitudes towards organ donation, we should take feelings of disgust seriously.

It's not you, it's me - disgust sensitivity towards body odor in deaf and blind individuals

Disgust might be elicited by various sensory channels, including the sense of smell. It has been previously demonstrated that unpleasant odors emitted by an external source are more disgusting than those emitted by oneself (the source effect). As disgust's main purpose is to help organisms avoid potentially dangerous, contaminating objects, individuals with visual or hearing sensory impairment (thus, with an impeded ability to detect cues indicating pathogen threat) might have developed an increased levels of olfactory disgust sensitivity (modality compensation in disgust sensitivity). We set out to investigate disgust sensitivity in olfaction using the Body Odor Disgust Scale (BODS) on a large sample of 74 deaf and 98 blind participants, with comparison to control groups without sensory impairment (N = 199 in total). The results did not support the hypothesis of modality compensation in disgust sensitivity. Contrary to previous research, neither sex nor age influenced the outcomes. Evidence for the source effect was found. Acquired data are interpreted in the light of social desirability. The emphasis put on the olfaction by blind and deaf individuals is discussed.

Psychometric Validation of the Bangla Fear of COVID-19 Scale: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Rasch Analysis

The recently developed Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) is a seven-item uni-dimensional scale that assesses the severity of fears of COVID-19. Given the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh, we aimed to translate and validate the FCV-19S in Bangla. The forward-backward translation method was used to translate the English version of the questionnaire into Bangla. The reliability and validity properties of the Bangla FCV-19S were rigorously psychometrically evaluated (utilizing both confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis) in relation to socio-demographic variables, national lockdown variables, and response to the Bangla Health Patient Questionnaire. The sample comprised 8550 Bangladeshi participants. The Cronbach α value for the Bangla FCV-19S was 0.871 indicating very good internal reliability. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the uni-dimensional factor structure of the FCV-19S fitted well with the data. The FCV-19S was significantly correlated with the nine-item Bangla Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-90) (r = 0.406, p < 0.001). FCV-19S scores were significantly associated with higher worries concerning lockdown. Measurement invariance of the FCV-19S showed no differences with respect to age or gender. The Bangla version of FCV-19S is a valid and reliable tool with robust psychometric properties which will be useful for researchers carrying out studies among the Bangla speaking population in assessing the psychological impact of fear from COVID-19 infection during this pandemic.

Interpretation bias and contamination-based obsessive-compulsive symptoms influence emotional intensity related to disgust and fear

Biased processing of disgust-related stimuli is increasingly discussed in addition to fear-related processing as a maintenance factor for contamination-based obsessive-compulsive disorder (C-OCD). However, the differential impact of fear and disgust on biased processing in C-OCD is not yet completely understood. Because it is difficult to distinguish the two emotions in self-report assessment by directly addressing the specific emotions, a text paragraph-based interpretation bias paradigm was applied to more implicitly assess emotions. For the text-based interpretation bias paradigm, disgust-related, fear-related, disgust-fear-ambiguous and neutral text paragraphs describing everyday life situations were developed and validated in a pre-study (N = 205). Fifty-nine healthy participants watched either disgust- or fear-inducing movies and afterwards rated their experienced emotional response to the text paragraphs. The results show that fear and disgust components of an emotional response to mixed-emotional situations are strongly influenced by the situational context, and across the levels of trait contamination fear people did not differ in their fear experiences to everyday situations (which was overall strong), but in their disgust experiences. These findings highlight the strength of situational context on interpretation bias for mixed-emotional disorders and the important role of disgust for C-OCD.

"Fake it till You Make it"! Contaminating Rubber Hands ("Multisensory Stimulation Therapy") to Treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a deeply enigmatic psychiatric condition associated with immense suffering worldwide. Efficacious therapies for OCD, like exposure and response prevention (ERP), are sometimes poorly tolerated by patients. As many as 25% of patients refuse to initiate ERP mainly because they are too anxious to follow exposure procedures. Accordingly, we proposed a simple and tolerable (immersive yet indirect) low-cost technique for treating OCD that we call “multisensory stimulation therapy.” This method involves contaminating a rubber hand during the so-called “rubber hand illusion” (RHI) in which tactile sensations may be perceived as arising from a fake hand. Notably, Jalal et al. (2015) showed that such fake hand contamination during the RHI provokes powerful disgust reactions in healthy volunteers. In the current study, we explored the therapeutic potential of this novel approach. OCD patients (n = 29) watched as their hidden real hand was being stroked together with a visible fake hand; either synchronously (inducing the RHI; i.e., the experimental condition; n = 16) or asynchronously (i.e., the control condition; n = 13). After 5 min of tactile stimulation, the rubber hand was contaminated with fake feces, simulating conventional exposure therapy. Intriguingly, results suggested sensory assimilation of contamination sensations into the body image via the RHI: patients undergoing synchronous stimulation did not report greater contamination sensations when the fake hand was initially contaminated relative to asynchronous stroking. But contrary to expectations, they did so after the rubber hand had been contaminated for 5 min, as assessed via disgust facial expressions (a secondary outcome) and in vivo exposure (upon discontinuing the illusion). Further, to our surprise, synchronous and asynchronous stroking induced an equally vivid and fast-emerging illusion, which helps explain why both conditions initially (5 min after initiating tactile stimulation) provoked contamination reactions of equal magnitude. This study is the first to suggest heightened malleability of body image in OCD. Importantly, it may pave the way for a tolerable technique for the treatment of OCD—highly suitable for poorly resourced and emergency settings, including low-income and developing countries with minimal access to high-tech solutions like virtual reality.

The Role of Perceived Control in the Psychophysiological Responses to Disgust of Subclinical OCD Women

Obsessive‒compulsive disorder (OCD), and especially contamination obsessions and washing compulsions, has been related to disgust. However, when its cardiovascular correlates have been studied, contradictory results have been found, including heart rate accelerations and decelerations. The aim of this study is to analyze emotional, cognitive, and cardiovascular responses in nonclinical (control) and subclinical participants with obsessive‒compulsive contamination/washing symptoms when confronted with a disgusting stimulus. Twenty-seven participants (14 subclinical OCD) completed a behavioral avoidance task with a contamination-based stimulus while their heart rate and subjective variables were measured. Results showed heart rate reductions in both samples, whereas subjective measures reflected higher disgust, anxiety, dirtiness, and emotional valence in the subclinical sample. However, at the same time, the sense of dominance was lower in the control group. In conclusion, our results support a heart rate deceleration during exposure to a disgusting stimulus dissociated from the subjective experience.

Hygienic personalities in wild grey mouse lemurs vary adaptively with sex

Detecting the risk of infection and minimizing parasite exposure represent the first lines of host defence against parasites. Individuals differ in the expression of these behavioural defences, but causes of such variation have received little empirical attention. We therefore experimentally investigated the effects of several individual and environmental factors on the expression level of faecal avoidance in the context of feeding, drinking, sleeping and defecating in a wild primate population. We found a strong sex bias in the expression level of anti-parasite behaviours of grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus), with only females strongly avoiding contaminated food, water and nests, and exhibiting selective defecation. Our results further suggest that individuals adapted their protective behaviours according to variation in intrinsic and ecological factors that may influence the cost-benefit balance of behavioural defences. Overall, individuals exhibited high consistency of investment in protective behaviours across behavioural contexts and time, suggesting that grey mouse lemurs exhibit different hygienic personalities. Finally, the global hygienic score was negatively correlated with faecal-orally transmitted parasite richness, suggesting that variation in behavioural defence has fitness consequences. We suggest that integrating inter-individual variation in behavioural defences in epidemiological studies should improve our ability to model disease spread within populations.

Does Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Improve Disgust Regulation Through Imagery Rescripting?

The first pilot studies have shown the potential of imagery rescripting (ImR) for reducing contamination-related pathological disgust, although the effects were rather small. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether the effects of ImR in reducing disgust can be further increased by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation that has been successfully used multiple times to support emotion-regulation strategies. In the present study, disgust was induced via images related to individualized sources of disgust. Fifty-eight healthy volunteers took part in two parallel experiments. The two groups were matched by age, highest educational level and gender, and were tested under two emotion-regulation conditions, namely an ImR condition and a control condition. Participants performed three trials on the first day and three trials on the second day. Across both days they performed three trials under each of the two emotion-regulation conditions in a randomized order. On one day active stimulation was applied, while on the other day participants were sham stimulated. The combination of emotion-regulation and stimulation condition was balanced across subjects. The only difference between the two groups was the localization of tDCS stimulation: one group was stimulated over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the other group was stimulated over the visual cortex (VC). This experimental manipulation was implemented to gain further insights into the underlying neuropsychological mechanisms of imagery. ImR was conducted via a previously-recorded audio file. The results confirm the effect of ImR on the reduction of disgust. However, with the present experimental design we were not able to show that supplementary tDCS of the VC or the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex lead to improvement.

Self-Reported Sense of Smell Predicts Disgust Sensitivity and Disgust Reactivity

Abstract. Two studies tested the hypothesis that self-reported sense of smell (i.e., metacognitive insight into one’s olfactory ability) predicts disgust sensitivity and disgust reactivity. Consistent with our predictions two studies demonstrated that disgust correlates with self-reported sense of smell. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated, from an individual difference perspective, that trait-like differences in disgust relate to self-reported sense of smell. Physical forms of disgust (i.e., sexual and pathogen disgust) drove this association. However, the association between self-reported sense of smell and disgust sensitivity is small, suggesting that it is likely not a good proxy for disgust sensitivity. The results of Study 2 extended this finding by demonstrating that individual differences in self-reported sense of smell influence how individuals react to a disgusting olfactory stimulus. Those who reported having a better sense of smell (or better insight into their olfactory ability) found a disgusting smell significantly more noxious as compared to participants reporting having a poor sense of smell (or poor insight into their olfactory ability). The current findings suggest that a one-item measure of self-reported sense of smell may be an effective tool in disgust research.

Feeding decisions under contamination risk in bonobos

Threats from parasites and pathogens are ubiquitous, and many use pathways that exploit host trophic interactions for their transmission. As such, host organisms have evolved a behavioural immune system to facilitate contamination-risk assessment and avoidance of potential contaminants in various contexts, including feeding. Detecting pathogen threats can rely on different sensory modalities allowing animals to screen for a wide array of contaminants. Here, we present a series of experiments in which bonobos showed clear avoidance of contaminated food items, and were sensitive to risk along a contamination probability gradient. Across experiments, bonobos appeared to use multisensorial cues to inform their feeding decisions. In addition, bonobos showed reduced tactile, gustatory and tool use activities when in the presence of contaminant versus control odours in a challenging foraging context. Our experiments build on previous work conducted in Japanese macaques and chimpanzees aiming at a better understanding of the ways in which the behavioural immune system operates in primates.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.

Predicting Contamination Aversion Using Implicit and Explicit Measures of Disgust and Threat Overestimation

Explicit measures of disgust and threat overestimation have consistently been found to be involved in contamination aversion. However, evidence of the involvement of these factors at the implicit level is mixed, and the role of both responses has not been looked at concurrently. This study aimed to compare the ability of implicit and explicit measures of disgust and threat overestimation to predict contamination aversion and whether this depends on the type of contaminant. Sixty-five participants completed explicit and implicit measures of disgust and threat overestimation, as well as several measures of contamination aversion, including obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and contamination fear and avoidance of contaminants directly associated with disease (direct contaminants) and harmful substances (harm contaminants). It was found that both explicit disgust and explicit threat overestimation predicted contamination-fear obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Explicit disgust predicted contamination fear and avoidance of direct contaminants, whereas explicit threat overestimation predicted contamination fear and avoidance of harm contaminants. The involvement of implicit processes was weak, with some suggestion of difficulty disengaging predicting avoidance of contaminants. Implications for understanding dysfunctional contamination aversion are discussed.

Examining the role of sex differences in obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a notably heterogeneous disorder. As such, there has been increased interest in subtyping OCD into homogeneous entities using biological characteristics such as sex. Whereas there is large consensus in the literature regarding sex differences in the phenotypic expression of OCD, there are numerous disadvantages to how OCD has been previously measured and assessed. The present investigation explored potential sex differences in OCD symptoms using the Dimensional Obsessive Compulsive Scale (DOCS), a redesigned measure that more reliably assesses the four most commonly replicated OCD symptom dimensions. A large sample of community participants with elevated levels of OCD symptoms (N = 297) was recruited from an online crowdsourcing marketplace. Surprisingly, no differences in means were observed across sexes. However, results did reveal sex differences when examining relations between OCD dimensions. In particular, correlations between the OCD symptom dimensions were stronger in males compared to females. The common perception of OCD as a heterogeneous disorder may hold for females more so than for males. Future research should seek to replicate these findings using multimethod approaches including clinical, behavioral, and neuroimaging assessments.

Is Disgust Proneness Associated With Anxiety and Related Disorders? A Qualitative Review and Meta-Analysis of Group Comparison and Correlational Studies

Research suggests that disgust may be linked to the etiology of some anxiety-related disorders. The present investigation reviews this literature and employs separate meta-analyses of clinical group comparison and correlational studies to examine the association between disgust proneness and anxiety-related disorder symptoms. Meta-analysis of 43 group comparison studies revealed those high in anxiety disorder symptoms reported significantly more disgust proneness than those low in anxiety symptoms. Although this effect was not moderated by clinical versus analogue studies or type of disorder, larger group differences were observed for those high in anxiety symptoms associated with contagion concerns compared to those high in anxiety symptoms not associated with contagion concerns. Similarly, meta-analysis of correlational data across 83 samples revealed moderate associations between disgust proneness and anxiety-related disorder symptoms. Moderator analysis revealed that the association between disgust proneness and anxiety-related disorder symptoms was especially robust for anxiety symptoms associated with contagion concerns. After controlling for measures of negative affect, disgust proneness continued to be moderately correlated with anxiety-related disorder symptoms. However, negative affect was no longer significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety-related disorders when controlling for disgust proneness. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of a novel transdiagnostic model.

Altered olfactory processing and increased insula activity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: An fMRI study

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients show increased insula activation to disgust-inducing images compared to healthy controls (HC). We explored whether this disgust reactivity was also present in the olfactory domain by conducting the first fMRI study of olfaction in OCD. Neural activation in response to pleasant and unpleasant odors (vs. unscented air) was investigated in 15 OCD and 15 HC participants using fMRI. OCD participants (vs. HC) had increased left anterior insula activation to unpleasant odors (vs. unscented air), which positively correlated with their disgust sensitivity and ratings of the unpleasantness and intensity of those odors. OCD participants (vs. HC) showed increased activation of caudate nucleus and left anterior and posterior insula to pleasant odors (vs. unscented air), which positively correlated with their OCD symptom severity, trait anxiety, frequency of feeling disgust, and odor intensity ratings. OCD participants had increased anterior insula activation to both pleasant and unpleasant odors, which correlated with their OCD symptoms, anxiety, disgust sensitivity, and frequency of feeling disgust. OCD patients might have a negative cognitive bias and experience all stimuli, regardless of valence, as being more unpleasant than healthy people. These findings further elucidate the neural underpinnings of OCD and may contribute to more effective treatments.

Distinguishing Fear Versus Distress Symptomatology in Pediatric OCD

Prior research has identified OCD subtypes or "clusters" of symptoms that differentially relate to clinical features of the disorder. Given the high comorbidity between OCD and anxiety, OCD symptom clusters may more broadly associate with fear and/or distress internalizing constructs. This study examines fear and distress dimensions, including physical concerns (fear), separation anxiety (fear), perfectionism (distress), and anxious coping (distress), as predictors of previously empirically-derived OCD symptom clusters in a sample of 215 youth diagnosed with primary OCD (ages 7-17, mean age = 12.25). Self-reported separation fears predicted membership in Cluster 1 (aggressive, sexual, religious, somatic obsessions, and checking compulsions) while somatic/autonomic fears predicted membership in Cluster 2 (symmetry obsessions and ordering, counting, repeating compulsions). Results highlight the diversity of pediatric OCD symptoms and their differential association with fear, suggesting the need to carefully assess both OCD and global fear constructs that might be directly targeted in treatment.

The DIsgust-RelaTed-Images (DIRTI) database: Validation of a novel standardized set of disgust pictures

Selecting appropriate stimuli is a major challenge of affective research. Although several standardized databases for affective pictures exist, none of them focus on discrete emotions such as disgust. Validated pictures inducing discrete emotions are still limited, and this presents a problem for researchers interested in studying different facets of disgust. In this paper, we introduce the DIsgust-RelaTed-Images (DIRTI) picture set. The set consists of 240 disgust-inducing pictures divided into six categories (food, animals, body products, injuries/infections, death, and hygiene). Additionally, we included 60 matched neutral pictures (10 per category). All pictures were rated by 200 participants on nine-point rating scales measuring disgust, fear, valence, and arousal. The present validation study covered a wide age range (18-75 years) with a balanced number of participants in each decade of life. For each picture, we provide separate ratings on the four scales for men and women. In addition to the original pictures, we also provide a luminance-matched version for experiments that require control of the physical properties of the pictures. The standardized DIRTI picture set allows researchers to chose from a wide set of disgust-inducing pictures and may enhance researchers' ability to draw comparisons between studies on disgust. (Download DIRTI picture set: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.167037).

Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised

The Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised is one of the most widely used measures of individual differences for the emotion of disgust. It consists of 2 subscales: disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity. This study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Japanese version of the revised Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale. Japanese participants (N = 1067) completed the scale as well as the Padua Inventory, Anxiety Sensitivity Index, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Positive and Negative Affective Schedule. The participants were divided into 3 samples: Sample 1 (n = 481, mean age = 23.05, 186 males and 295 females); Sample 2 (n = 492, mean age = 20.27, 243 males and 249 females); and Sample 3 (n = 94, mean age = 22.68, 35 males and 58 females). We combined Samples 1 and 2 (n = 973, mean age = 21.66, 429 males and 544 females), and then created 2 subsamples to ensure the mutual independence of the samples used for two different factor analyses: subsample 1 (n = 486, mean age = 21.86, 199 male and 287 female) for exploratory factor analysis and subsample 2 (n = 487, mean age = 21.40, 230 male and 257 female) for confirmatory factor analysis. We examined test-retest reliability using Sample 3, and construct validity using Samples 1, 2, and the combined sample. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the item-factor structure of the Japanese Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised was identical to the English version. Moreover, the scale showed good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity for empirical support as provided by correlational analyses. Results revealed adequate psychometric properties of the scale. This study provided the first examples of empirical support for the DPSS-R-J.

Emotional and Cognitive Variables Associated with Contamination-Related Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

Different variables have been associated with the development/ maintenance of contamination-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), although the relevance of these factors has not been clearly established. The present study aimed to analyze the relevance and specificity of these variables. Forty-five women with high scores on obsessive-compulsive contamination symptoms (n = 16) or checking symptoms (n = 15), or non-clinical scores (n = 14) participated in a behavioral approach/avoidance task (BAT) with a contamination-OCD stimulus. Vulnerability variables and participants' emotional, cognitive, physiological and behavioral responses to the BAT were appraised. Results show that fear of illness was a relevant vulnerability variable specific to contamination participants (p = .001; η2 p = .291). Contamination participants responded with significantly higher subjective disgust (p =.001; η2 p = .269), anxiety (p = .001; η2 p = .297), urge to wash (p < .001; η2 p = 370), threat from emotion (p < .001; η2 p = .338) and contamination severity (p = .002; η2 p = .260) appraisals, and with lower behavioral approach (p = .008; η2 p = .208) than the other two groups. Moreover, contamination participants showed lower heart rate acceleration (p = .046; η2 p = .170) and higher contamination likelihood appraisals (p < .001; η2 p = .342) than the non-clinical group. Urge to wash was predicted by state disgust (R 2 change = .346) and threat from emotion (R 2 change = .088). These responses were predicted by general anxiety sensitivity (R 2 change = .161), disgust propensity (R 2 change = .255) and fear of illness (R 2 change = .116), but not by other vulnerability variables such as dysfunctional beliefs about thoughts (Responsibility and Overestimation of threat) or disgust sensitivity. State disgust, threat from disgust, anxiety sensitivity and fear of illness were found to be the most relevant variables in contamination symptoms.

Neural correlates of emotional response inhibition in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A preliminary study

Failure to inhibit recurrent anxiety-provoking thoughts is a central symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Neuroimaging studies suggest inhibitory control and disgust processing abnormalities in patients with OCD. However, the emotional modulation of response inhibition deficits in OCD and their neural correlates remain to be elucidated. For this preliminary study we administered an adapted affective response inhibition paradigm, an emotional go/no-go task, during fMRI to characterize the neural systems underlying disgust-related and fear-related inhibition in nine adults with contamination-type OCD compared to ten matched healthy controls. Participants with OCD had significantly greater anterior insula cortex activation when inhibiting responses to both disgusting (bilateral), and fearful (right-sided) images, compared to healthy controls. They also had increased activation in several frontal, temporal, and parietal regions, but there was no evidence of amygdala activation in OCD or healthy participants and no significant between-group differences in performance on the emotion go/no-go task. The anterior insula appears to play a central role in the emotional modulation of response inhibition in contamination-type OCD to both fearful and disgusting images. The insula may serve as a potential treatment target for contamination-type OCD.

Disgust Sensitivity Accounts for Some But Not All Gender Differences in Death Attitudes

The present study investigated whether gender differences in death attitudes could be attributable to social desirability, locus of control, and disgust sensitivity. A total of 238 university students completed the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale and the Revised Death Attitude Profile in addition to measures of social desirability, locus of control, and disgust sensitivity. Women scored higher than men on many of the fear dimensions and also on approach and escape acceptance. There were no gender differences on locus of control or social desirability, but women reported more disgust sensitivity than did men. Locus of control was unrelated to any death attitudes. Social desirability was associated only with less reported fear of premature death. Disgust sensitivity was associated with all death attitudes except neutral acceptance. Some but not all of the gender differences in death attitudes were no longer significant when controlling for disgust sensitivity.

Effective behavioural strategies for reducing disgust in contamination-related OCD: A review

Disgust is an understudied but important emotion in various psychological disorders. Over the last decade, increasing evidence suggests that disgust is also present in various subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), especially in contamination-related OCD (C-OCD). The treatment of choice for C-OCD is exposure with response prevention, originally designed to reduce fear-associated emotions thought to be acquired through Pavlovian conditioning (PC). However, disgust has been proposed to be acquired through evaluative conditioning (EC) and according to the referential model of this form of learning, there are functional differences between PC and EC that need to be considered in the treatment of disgust-related responses. Alternative strategies suggested by EC-based models include counterconditioning (contingent presentation of the CS with a US of opposite valence) and US revaluation (contingent presentation of the US with US of opposite valence). Drawing on the referential model, this paper reviews evidence for the effectiveness of each strategy to identify the most theoretically sound and empirically valid intervention to reduce disgust in C-OCD.

Specificity of disgust domains in the prediction of contamination anxiety and avoidance: a multimodal examination

Although core, animal-reminder, and contamination disgust are viewed as distinct "types" of disgust vulnerabilities, the extent to which individual differences in the three disgust domains uniquely predict contamination-related anxiety and avoidance remains unclear. Three studies were conducted to fill this important gap in the literature. Study 1 was conducted to first determine if the three types of disgust could be replicated in a larger and more heterogeneous sample. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a bifactor model consisting of a "general disgust" dimension and the three distinct disgust dimensions yielded a better fit than a one-factor model. Structural equation modeling in Study 2 showed that while latent core, animal-reminder, and contamination disgust factors each uniquely predicted a latent "contamination anxiety" factor above and beyond general disgust, only animal-reminder uniquely predicted a latent "non-contamination anxiety" factor above and beyond general disgust. However, Study 3 found that only contamination disgust uniquely predicted behavioral avoidance in a public restroom where contamination concerns are salient. These findings suggest that although the three disgust domains are associated with contamination anxiety and avoidance, individual differences in contamination disgust sensitivity appear to be most uniquely predictive of contamination-related distress. The implications of these findings for the development and maintenance of anxiety-related disorders marked by excessive contamination concerns are discussed.

Effect of risk information exposure on consumers' responses to foods with insect contamination

This study explores the impact that scientific information about insect contamination of food has on consumer perceptions. Participants (n = 320, Japanese consumers) were randomly assigned to 1 of 8 information-type conditions: (1) information about insect type, (2) information about contamination processes, (3) information about the safety of contaminated food, (4, 5, 6) combinations of 2 of (1), (2), and (3) above, (7) all information, and (8) no-information, and asked to rate their valuation, behavioral intention, and attitude toward food with insect contamination. Results demonstrated that some combinations of scientific information that include the safety of the contaminated food are effective to reduce consumers' compulsive rejection of insect contamination in food, whereas the single presentation of information about insect type increases consumers' explicit rejection of both the contaminated product and the manufacturer. These findings have implications for the coordination of risk communication strategies.