An analysis of the role of disgust in five moral domains with relation to gender, religiosity, right - left politics, obsessive beliefs, and cleaning compulsions

One purpose of this study is to investigate the differences between reactions of disgusted and non-disgusted groups with respect to moral foundations (authority, sanctity, loyalty, fairness, and care). The second purpose is to indicate the gender differences among groups and moral foundations. 255 university students, 83 males and 172 females participated in this study. A series of questionnaires that differed in manipulation tactics were given to two participant groups (Looming of Disgust Questionnaire Form A to disgusted group & Form B to non-disgusted group, Moral Foundations Questionnaire, Padua Inventory, Disgust Scale, Contamination and Cognitions Scale, Obsessive Beliefs Scale, and Demographic Information Form). According to the Turkish version of Moral Foundations Questionnaire , merging foundations into two factors gave high alpha values for internal consistencies. Thus, the analysis was conducted in two moral foundations groups: binding foundations (authority, purity, and loyalty) and individualizing foundations (fairness and care). In variance analysis, participants in disgusted groups preferred the binding foundations. Gender informed the differences interacted with groups (disgusted and non-disgusted) and moral foundations. In general, females were more inclined toward individualizing foundations than were males. Males were more inclined to binding foundations than were females. One significant finding was that males were more affected by disgust manipulation, which made them sensitive to the binding foundations. Furthermore, regression analyses were conducted that found relationship between moral foundations and religion, rightist-leftist politics, disgust sensitivity, obsessive beliefs, contamination cognitions, and cleaning compulsions. Religion, disgust sensitivity, obsessive beliefs, and contamination cognitions significantly predicted binding foundations. Disgust sensitivity and gender also predicted individualizing foundations significantly. This study supports the claim that group differences, gender, contamination cognitions, and cleaning compulsions are predictors of disgust sensitivity. Lastly, disgust influenced moral foundations that contain gender factors. Religion, contamination cognitions, disgust sensitivity, and obsessive beliefs were predictors of binding foundations. Disgust sensitivity was also related to contamination cognitions, gender, group differences (disgusted and non-disgusted), and cleaning compulsions. These results are discussed as the main portion of this study.