Further revision and psychometric properties of an Italian version of the «Disgust Scale-Revised»
Gabriele Melli, Carlo Chiorri, Rosa Smurra
A series of studies evaluated the psychometric properties of Olatunji and co-workers’ Disgust Scale-Revised (2007), with items rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale (DS-RL), in four non-clinical samples. In Study 1, the factor structure of the DS-RL was investigated through exploratory factor analyses and the one-factor solution proved to be the most adequate. In Study 2, alternative measurement models for the DS-RL items were tested through confirmatory factor analysis, and again the results supported
unidimensionality. In Study 3, DS-RL was administered together with measures of hypochondriasis, OCD symptomatology, need for cognitive closure, trait anxiety, orthorexia, emotional regulation and social desirability. Results showed support for the discriminant validity of the DS-RL, since significant correlations with measures of fear of contamination, preference for order, and discomfort with ambiguity were found. In Study 4, the DS-RL was administered twice at a 4-week interval and results revealed that the score remains stable over time in absence of true change. The four studies also provided evidence that women report higher levels of disgust propensity than men and that the DS-RL score is negatively correlated with educational level. The DS-RL appears to be a unidimensional, valid and reliable measure of the tendency to experience disgust.
Keywords
Disgust Scale, Disgust Sensitivity, Disgust Propensity, Assessment, Fear of Contamination.
