From rotten food to political opponents: Researchers explore how disgust relates to our beliefs, and why the connection is complicated

Researchers are examining whether disgust sensitivity influences political beliefs, or whether people’s beliefs shape what they find disgusting. A review of 24 studies found an association between self-reported ease of disgust and socially conservative views, but researchers say the evidence does not establish a clear cause and effect.

Disgust can relate to reactions to germs, sexual behaviour and moral violations, and studies suggest liberals and conservatives may be repelled by different things. Conservatives reported greater disgust at examples involving sexual behaviour and drug use, while liberals reported greater disgust at animal abuse and environmental pollution; there was no clear political divide in general disgust sensitivity in one study. Researchers have also questioned earlier findings of stronger physical reactions among conservatives, and a survey of 632 US adults examined whether people’s awareness and interpretation of bodily signals might help explain reported differences.