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

Some studies have linked disgust sensitivity to socially conservative attitudes.

But as Americans vote in the US midterm elections , it's time to think about how disgust shapes our politics, or whether our beliefs shape what we find disgusting?

The smell of rotten food can make us recoil. Certain sexual practices can provoke a similar reaction. And in today's polarized political climate , even political opponents can become objects of disgust.

Psychologists have long investigated whether sensitivity to disgust helps explain political beliefs. A review of 24 studies found that people who reported being more easily disgusted tended to hold more socially conservative views.

"We think that it evolved in part to reduce exposure to things that could make you sick," psychologist Yoel Inbar, of the University of British Columbia in Canada , told DW.

But disgust is not a single emotion. The Three-Domain Disgust Scale , developed in 2009, distinguishes three types:

Pathogen disgust: Reactions to potential sources of infection, such as rotten food, vomit or bodily waste.

Sexual disgust: Reactions to particular sexual behaviors or situations.

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