Trait and state disgust: an experimental investigation of disgust and avoidance in colorectal cancer decision scenarios.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether trait and experimentally manipulated state disgust independently and/or interactively predict immediate and anticipated avoidance in decision scenarios related to colorectal cancer (CRC).


METHODS
Eighty participants, aged 18 to 66 years, completed questionnaires assessing trait disgust prior to a laboratory session. Participants were gender block randomized to disgust or control conditions before completing tasks assessing immediate avoidance of a CRC disgust elicitor (stoma bag) and anticipated avoidance in hypothetical CRC scenarios.


RESULTS
Manipulation checks confirmed the elicitation of disgust in the experimental condition. Persons in the experimental condition were more likely to exhibit immediate avoidance behaviors in response to a commonly used bowel disease device (stoma bag), and trait disgust predicted time to touch the device. Trait disgust also moderated the influence of state disgust on anticipated avoidance, namely delay in help seeking for bowel symptoms and predicted rating disgusting side effects as more deterring to adherence.


CONCLUSIONS
The current report suggests the importance of examining disgust in CRC contexts and provides the first empirical demonstration that state and trait aspects of disgust may interactively operate to deter certain types of decisions. It thus furthers understanding of emotions and avoidance in a health context that has had surprisingly little focus to date.
Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland.
Lisa M
LM
Reynolds
Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland.
Sarah A
SA
McCambridge
Department of Surgery Medicine, The University of Auckland.
Ian P
IP
Bissett
Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland.
Nathan S
NS
Consedine
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D004644:Emotions; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult