The role of disgust in body image disturbance: Incremental predictive power of self-disgust

The relationship between disgust and symptoms of disorders characterized by body image disturbance (BID) is increasingly being examined. In cognitive-behavioral models of psychopathology, disgust may function as a negative emotional response to perceived body defects, leading to avoidance and compulsive behavior. Little research has examined the role of self-disgust - a form of disgust that may be particularly relevant to the body. The present study is a descriptive analysis of the association between BID and self-disgust, controlling for other related variables. Two non-clinical samples completed measures of BID, self-disgust, negative affect, anxiety sensitivity, disgust propensity, and disgust sensitivity. Although BID was associated with all three forms of disgust at the bivariate level, in multivariate analyses self-disgust emerged as a unique predictor of BID, above and beyond all included variables, although effect sizes were small. Potential implications for understanding, preventing, and treating body image-related disorders are discussed.