The DIsgust-RelaTed-Images (DIRTI) database: Validation of a novel standardized set of disgust pictures

- In recent years there is a renewed interest in the study of disgust.
- As image material for evoking disgust is scarce we present a new database.
- It includes 240 disgust pictures in 6 categories plus 60 neutral pictures.
- Ratings by 200 participants (18-75 years) showed medium to strong disgust.
- Our database might help researchers to apply suitable pictures to induce disgust.

Selecting appropriate stimuli is a major challenge of affective research. Although several standardized databases for affective pictures exist, none of them focus on discrete emotions such as disgust. Validated pictures inducing discrete emotions are still limited, and this presents a problem for researchers interested in studying different facets of disgust. In this paper, we introduce the DIsgust-RelaTed-Images (DIRTI) picture set. The set consists of 240 disgust-inducing pictures divided into six categories (food, animals, body products, injuries/infections, death, and hygiene). Additionally, we included 60 matched neutral pictures (10 per category). All pictures were rated by 200 participants on nine-point rating scales measuring disgust, fear, valence, and arousal. The present validation study covered a wide age range (18-75 years) with a balanced number of participants in each decade of life. For each picture, we provide separate ratings on the four scales for men and women. In addition to the original pictures, we also provide a luminance-matched version for experiments that require control of the physical properties of the pictures. The standardized DIRTI picture set allows researchers to chose from a wide set of disgust-inducing pictures and may enhance researchers' ability to draw comparisons between studies on disgust. (Download DIRTI picture set: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.167037).