Disgust

Disgust is an aversive emotion characterized by revulsion and a desire to avoid or eject the offending object. It is typically triggered by cues associated with contamination, decay, or disease—such as spoiled food, bodily waste, or foul odors—but it can also arise from morally offensive acts. As a basic emotion, disgust serves protective functions by guiding avoidance and cleansing behaviors to limit exposure to potential pathogens and toxins.

From an evolutionary and cognitive perspective, disgust is linked to disease avoidance and hygiene. Neural substrates commonly associated with disgust include the insula, which shows robust activation to disgust-relevant stimuli, along with other regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. Disgust reactions appear early in development, with infants responding to certain tastes and smells, and cultural learning expands the range of elicitors over time.

Disgust is often described as having multiple domains. Core disgust refers to physical contamination and toxins, while sociomoral or moral disgust relates to violations of normative behavior that provoke revulsion. Some researchers also distinguish sexual or aesthetic disgust. Individual differences in disgust sensitivity influence how people respond to contamination cues and how they form moral judgments.

Disgust is commonly assessed with standardized measures such as the Disgust Scale and its revised versions and is studied across psychology, anthropology, and public health. Cultural variation shapes what is deemed disgusting, and disgust can influence social attitudes, moral judgments, and everyday behaviors, including food choices, cleanliness practices, and political or ethical viewpoints.