Self-disgust within the context of sexual encounters

Schoor, Lotte van der (2025) Self-disgust within the context of sexual encounters. Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Disgust is a basic emotion with an important evolutionary function: the prevention of disease through avoidance of potentially contaminated stimuli. Disgust can be elicited by three distinct types of stimuli: pathogen-related, moral, and sexual. Self-disgust is a maladaptive, persistent, and self-directed generalization of the adaptive disgust response. In sexual encounters, it can disrupt arousal, reduce intimacy, and contribute to negative sexual self-evaluations. The aim of this study was to examine whether scenarios involving stimuli presumed to belong to the pathogen, sexual, or moral domain can elicit self-disgust, thereby replicating and extending the work of Brouwer et al. (2023). It was expected that self-disgust would not only be evident in direct ratings but also manifest indirectly through a heightened urge to wash, and that relatively high levels of trait disgust would correspond to stronger expressions of self-disgust. The sample consisted of 35 heterosexual female psychology students. A within-subjects design was employed, featuring self- and observer-perspective conditions. Participants listened to audio scenarios containing disgust elicitors and rated their self-disgust and urge to wash using Visual Analog Scales. The Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised (DPSS-R) assessed trait disgust. Results showed significantly higher self-disgust and urge to wash ratings in the self-perspective compared to the observer-perspective across all three disgust elicitor types. However, no significant relationship was found between trait disgust scores and self-disgust ratings. These findings support those of Brouwer et al. (2023) and have implications for sexual well-being: intense self-disgust may hinder arousal and contribute to sexual dysfunctions like low desire or sexual aversion. A limitation of this study is the small and homogenous sample, which may reduce the generalizability of the findings. Future research could benefit from exploring self-disgust in clinical populations, particularly among individuals with a history of sexual trauma, to further understand its potential role in sexual dysfunction.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Jong, P.J. de and Borg, C.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology (FP) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited:	05 Aug 2025 11:49
Last Modified:	05 Aug 2025 11:49
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5797

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