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Disgust Sensitivity and Anxiety Disorder Symptoms: Psychometric Properties of the Disgust Emotion Scale

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Abstract

Recent research has implicated disgust sensitivity in the etiology of specific anxiety disorders. The Disgust Emotion Scale (DES) is a newly developed measure that was designed to improve the assessment of disgust sensitivity. The present study examines the psychometric properties of the DES. Exploratory factor analysis in Study 1 revealed five factors of disgust towards: (1) rotting foods, (2) blood and injection, (3) smells, (4) mutilation and death, and (5) small animals. The DES demonstrated adequate internal consistency and convergent validity. Significant positive correlations were found between the five factors of the DES and blood-injection-injury fears and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 provided support for the five-factor model. However, there was indication of item overlap within the factors. These findings suggest that the DES is a reliable measure of disgust as it relates to specific anxiety disorder symptoms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vanderbilt University, 301 Wilson Hall, 111 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA

    Bunmi O. Olatunji

  2. University of Washington, Washington, USA

    Craig N. Sawchuk

  3. University of Groningen, Groningen, USA

    Peter J. de Jong

  4. University of Arkansas, Arkansas, USA

    Jeffrey M. Lohr

Authors
  1. Bunmi O. Olatunji
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  2. Craig N. Sawchuk
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  3. Peter J. de Jong
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  4. Jeffrey M. Lohr
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Olatunji, B.O., Sawchuk, C.N., de Jong, P.J. et al. Disgust Sensitivity and Anxiety Disorder Symptoms: Psychometric Properties of the Disgust Emotion Scale. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 29, 115–124 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-006-9027-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-006-9027-8

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