Dangerous worldview: A mediator of the relation between disgust sensitivity and social conservatism

- Disgust sensitivity correlated with social conservatism and dangerous worldview.
- Indirect effect of disgust sensitivity on conservatism via dangerous worldview
- Disgust increased dangerous worldview in those higher in disgust sensitivity.

A growing body of research indicates that greater disgust sensitivity is associated with more socially conservative values. However, the mechanism by which disgust is linked to social conservatism has not been elucidated. The purpose of this research was to determine whether disgust alters social worldview, which in turn encourages the endorsement of social conservatism. Studies 1a/b and 2 provided correlational support for this model. Individuals higher in disgust sensitivity were more likely to endorse a dangerous worldview and socially conservative values. Furthermore, dangerous worldview mediated the relation between disgust sensitivity and social conservatism. Study 3 provided experimental evidence of the causal link between disgust and dangerous worldview. For those more sensitive to disgust, a disgust induction compared to a neutral condition resulted in greater endorsement of a dangerous worldview. These findings provide initial evidence of a route through which disgust influences social conservatism.