Abstract
We present the first experimental evidence to our knowledge that ingroup
relations attenuate core disgust and that this helps explain the
ability of groups to coact. In study 1, 45 student participants smelled a
sweaty t-shirt bearing the logo of another university, with either
their student identity (ingroup condition), their specific university
identity (outgroup condition), or their personal identity (interpersonal
condition) made salient. Self-reported disgust was lower in the ingroup
condition than in the other conditions, and disgust mediated the
relationship between condition and willingness to interact with target.
In study 2, 90 student participants smelled a sweaty target t-shirt
bearing either the logo of their own university, another university, or
no logo, with either their student identity or their specific university
identity made salient. Walking time to wash hands and pumps of soap
indicated that disgust was lower where the relationship between
participant and target was ingroup rather than outgroup or ambivalent
(no logo).
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2631-2635 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 113 |
Issue number | 10 |
Early online date | 22 Feb 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 8 Mar 2016 |
Keywords
- Disgust
- Social identity
- Groups
- Group processes
- Coaction