Development and validation of the Food Disgust Picture Scale

Abstract

The present set of studies developed and tested the Food Disgust Picture Scale (FDPS). This is a tool for the assessment of food disgust sensitivity that will measure disgust and predict possible reactions. This eight-picture tool can be used in complement to or as a replacement for currently available text-based measures. In an exploratory Study 1 (N = 57), we constructed a scale consisting of eight pictures. Most of them were taken from validated picture databases. They proved powerful in the assessment of food disgust sensitivity. Study 2 built on these results and refined the scale by substituting pictures from Study 1 with freely available images displaying similar content. The basic structure of the FDPS was then replicated in a bigger sample of Swiss adults (N = 538). Correlational analyses using the eight-item Food Disgust Scale (FDS short), the revised version of the Disgust Scale (DS-R), and the food neophobia scale (FNS) supported the convergent validity of the FDPS. In Study 3 (N = 226), we used a test-retest design to demonstrate the short-term stability of the FDPS. As a result of these studies, the present work provides a short and comprehensive measure of food disgust sensitivity. This novel approach of using pictures to induce a disgust response independently of language significantly facilitates intercultural research on disgust. The FDPS will further contribute to the understanding of food-related disgust and its impact on our food choices.

The central role of disgust in disorders of food avoidance

“…Given exciting findings regarding the up‐regulation of the disgust system during times in which immunity may be compromised or the need for protection from pathogens greater (e.g., pregnancy, sickness (Curtis et al, ; Fessler, Eng, & Navarrete, ; Stevenson et al, )–the role of disgust in food avoidance may lead to interventions targeted at key developmental phases or vulnerable periods. Incorporating measurement tools that capture food‐related disgust (Ammann, Hartmann, & Siegrist, ; Hartmann & Siegrist, ), changing the context of the experience of disgust (e.g., making it playful), creating developmentally sensitive tools to help children and adolescents define and pursue valued goals, and exploring whether and/or when food preferences change may be important domains for future research.…”

When Evolution Works Against the Future: Disgust's Contributions to the Acceptance of New Food Technologies

“…As mentioned earlier, the strongest effect of disgust among all tested food technologies was observed for the synthetic food additive. It seems reasonable that mentioning mold cultures in the production process elicited a disgust‐related food rejection as mold was repeatedly shown to be a disgust elicitor (Ammann, Hartmann, & Siegrist, ; Haberkamp et al., ; Hartmann & Siegrist, ; Tybur, Lieberman, & Griskevicius, ). Finally, the description regarding the other nanotechnology application (nanotechnology food box) included the information that nanoparticles from the box might migrate into the food.…”

Exploring Attitudes and Reactions to Unfamiliar Food Pairings: An Examination of the Underlying Motivations and the Impact of Culinary Education

“…The negative poles of Ideational motivations can be categorized by either disgust or inappropriateness (Ammann, Hartmann, & Siegrist, 2018a). Rejection based on disgust is primarily motivated by the origin of the food (e.g., animal origin), what the food is (e.g., offal), and the social history of food preparation and handling in particular cultures (e.g., food prepared or handled by members of a lower class of a society particularly when the social norms of that society employ a caste system) (Rozin & Fallon, 1987).…”

“…A plethora of research publications have been devoted to understanding preference and acceptance toward familiar and unfamiliar foods and flavors (Backstrom, Pirttila-Backman, & Tuorila, 2003Chung et al, 2012;Henriques, King, & Meiselman., 2009;Schickenberg, van Assema, Brug, & De Vries, 2008). The vast majority of studies in this area investigated school-aged children's' attitudes and behaviors toward foods, with a limited number of studies exploring adult food preferences and responses (Ammann et al, 2018a;Ammann, Hartmann, & Siegrist, 2018b;Elkins & Zickgraf, 2018;Jaeger, Rasmussen, & Prescott, 2017;King, Meiselman., & Henriques, 2008;Knaapila et al, 2011;Tuorila, Lähteenmäki, Pohjalainen, & Lotti, 2001). Only a handful of studies investigated the impact of food education programs on reactions and preferences toward unfamiliar foods (Hoppu et al, 2015;Mustonen, Rantanen, & Tuorila, 2009;Park & Cho, 2016;Reverdy et al, 2008;Reverdy, Lange, & Schlich, 2004;Reverdy et al, 2010).…”

“…When discussing a novel food pairing mentioned by one the focus participants ("pork sausage with hummus"), it was explained that while the thought of the combination was not appealing or appetizing, the actual flavor of the combination was quite pleasing, "it should not taste good, but it actually does." Previous researchers have found that ideational motivations are important factors in the rejection of unfamiliar foods (Ammann et al, 2018a(Ammann et al, , 2018bHartmann & Siegrist, 2018), especially in the negative response to unfamiliar animal-based foods (Martins et al, 1997;Martins & Pliner, 2005Pliner, 1994;Tan et al, 2015).…”