Anxiety sensitivity and disgust sensitivity interact to predict contamination fears

Research has begun to demonstrate that contamination fears are comprised of both fear and disgust, but whether these emotions interact and how they may interact within the domain of contamination fears has not been researched. The present study investigated whether the fear of aversive sensations (i.e., anxiety sensitivity) interacts with the propensity to respond with disgust (i.e., disgust sensitivity) to predict contamination fear. In study 1, 377 participants completed the Disgust Scale, the Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory, and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Results revealed that anxiety sensitivity and disgust sensitivity independently predict contamination fear, and these main effects were qualified by an interaction between these constructs. Study 2 replicated these findings in a smaller sample (N = 98) using the Padua inventory as the index of contamination fear. The authors discuss the results in terms of a possible functional role of disgust in contamination fear.