The impact of disgust on moral judgment in individuals with varying disgust propensities

Disgust, a fundamental human emotion, is triggered by unpleasant stimuli. Previous research has demonstrated its influence on judgments of both moral and non-moral behaviors. This study addresses the gaps in existing literature and controversies by investigating the impact of disgust on immoral and non-moral behavior using the emotional priming paradigm and Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). Additionally, the study examines how individuals’ propensity for disgust affects moral judgment. The findings reveal that, compared to neutral priming, participants exhibit a greater tendency to avoid non-moral behaviors when primed with disgust. This is evidenced by a higher Avoidance-Approach Rate D-value. Furthermore, a positive correlation is observed between individuals’ disgust propensity scores and the Avoidance-Approach Rate D-value for non-moral behaviors under disgust priming. These results support the moralization hypothesis and highlight the link between disgust and moral judgment.