Background: There is increasing attention for the role of disgust in psychopathology, especially contamination/washing obsessive-compulsive symptoms by Western researchers in recent decades. There has not been much attention paid to this disorder in Iran. This study aimed at determining the role of disgust propensity and disgust sensitivity in predicting contamination/washing obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Materials and Methods: In this analytical descriptive study, 295 students were selected from Shahed University by the cluster sampling method. The participants completed the demographic questionnaire, Padua Inventory (PI, contamination subscale) and Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised (DPSS-R). Results: The results of Pearson correlation showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between the disgust propensity and the disgust sensitivity with contamination/washing obsessive-compulsive symptoms and this relationship was stronger in women (0. 41-0. 42) than in men (0. 23-0. 24). The results of regression analysis showed that disgust propensity (β =0. 34, P<0. 001) and disgust sensitivity (β =0. 17, P<0. 001) could predict the contamination/washing obsessive-compulsive symptoms (R=0. 45, R2=0. 20). Disgust propensity had a stronger predictive role (R2=0. 16, P<0. 001). However, age could not predict contamination/washing obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Conclusion: The present study provides support for the role of disgust in the prediction of contamination/washing obsessive-compulsive symptoms and it can be used for early diagnosis and timely treatment of this disorder.

Washing/pollution obsession is one of the most common types of obsessivecompulsive disorders in the world. When faced with certain situations, people with this disorder are more prone to experience disgust and have more trouble in resisting their negative emotions, and in obsessive situations, they act with lower awareness and a more judgmental view. The purpose of this research was to compare the disgust propensity sensitivity, emotion regulation and mindfulness in people with and without washing/pollution obsessions. For this purpose, during a comparative study, 30 people with washing/pollution obsession and 30 people without washing/pollution obsession were selected by convenience sampling method and evaluated in terms of disgust propensity sensitivity, mindfulness and emotion regulation. The results of statistical analysis showed that people with washing/pollution obsessive compulsive disorder experience more disgust propensity sensitivity and have less mindfulness skills. The findings of this research indicate the importance of emotional and cognitive functions of these people in their more effective functioning.

Disgust was one of six basic emotions was introduced by Darwin. Disgust propensity and sensitivity scale is one of assessment tools of disgust. The aim was the survey of the factor structure and psychometric properties of this scale in Iranian population. Method: This study was Descriptive research. The sample was consisted of 391 students of Shahed University that were selected by cluster sampling method. The used tools were disgust propensity and sensitivity scale, disgust scale-revised and Padoa scale. The Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analysis was used for survey of factor structure of this scale. Also, convergent validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the scale were evaluated. Results: The Exploratory factor analysis showed four factors: disgust emotion propensity, disgust emotion sensitivity, propensity for avoidance of disgusting stimuli, sensitivity for results of disgust. The Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed four factors and two factors version. Also, convergent validity and reliability of the scale were good. Conclusion: These findings showed this scale has a favorable factor structure, convergent validity and reliability. Therefore, it can be used in Iranian samples.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between disgust propensity, fear of contamination, and fear of contagion and also to determine the mediating role of fear of contagion in this regard.Methods: This is a correlation study. Study population were students of Shahed University of Tehran. The sample consisted of 391 students who were selected by convenience sampling method and completed looming contamination scale, disgust propensity and sensitivity scale and Padua scale. Data analyzed by SPSS 22 software. The correlation, hierarchical regression based on Baron and Kenny’s method (1987), and Sobel’s Test were used for analysis.Resultsresults showed that disgust propensity, fear of contagion (b=0.35, P<0.001), and fear of contamination (b=0.41, P<0.001) are correlated. The relationship between fear of contagion and fear of contamination was also significant (b=0.41, P<0.001). Regression analysis demonstrated that fear of contagion mediates the relationship between disgust propensity and fear of contamination (b=0.26, P<0.001), which is also confirmed by Sobel’s test (Z=6.36, P<0.001).Conclusion: The fear of contagion is a mediator in the relationship between disgust propensity and fear of contamination. As a result, it seems that this structure is important in explaining the fear of contamination. Therefore if fear of contagion is considered in the evaluation and treatment of fear of contamination, The treartment effectiveness will be increased.

Objectives The law of contagion is one of the sympathetic of magic principles and is a cognitive distortion related to disgust. To explain how disgust can lead to contamination Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms, this study assumes that the emotion of disgust can activate the law of contagion, which in turn may motivate threat estimations that finally results in OCD symptoms. Methods This study has a correlational research design. Participants were 495 students (59% women) from Olum Tahghighat University that recruited through convenience sampling. All the participants completed all the questionnaires in the same order: Threat estimation scenarios, the Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory Contamination Scale (VOCI-C), negative-spiritual contagion subscale from Contagion Sensitivity Scale (CSS), and core disgust subscale from Disgust Scale (DS). This model was examined through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results The finding revealed that the proposed model had a good fit based on reported indices: χ, 2, CMIN/DF, GFI, CFI, AGFI, RMSEA. Conclusion There are mediational roles for the law of contagion and threat estimations in the relation between disgust and OCD symptoms. The proposed psychopathological model can help to promote the disgust theory in OCD and may have implications for cognitive behavioral therapy.

Background and Objective: Several studies revealed that disgust as an emotional response underlies the contamination fears in Contamination Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Other studies supported the role of cognitions related to contagion and disease in contamination OCD. The present study aimed to integrate these two lines of evidence. To this end, regarding the concept of the behavioral immune system, it was investigated whether perceived vulnerability to infectious disease, as a cognitive component of the behavioral immune system, can moderate the relation between disgust, as the emotional component of this system, and symptoms of contamination OCD. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 350 university students in Tehran University through cluster random sampling. The participants were asked to complete the Persian version of the disgust scale, perceived vulnerability to disease questionnaire, and Vancouver contamination subscale. The data were analyzed utilizing hierarchical regression analysis and post hoc tests. Results: The results revealed that perceived vulnerability to infectious disease moderated the relationship between the feeling of disgust and fear of contamination. According to the results, perceived infectability subscale which measures perceived weakness of one's immune system with more accuracy, can also exacerbate the relationship between the feeling of disgust and fear of contamination. Conclusion: The results of this study facilitate the understanding of the effect of disgust on fear of contamination, especially the role of cognitions about contagion and disease in potentiating the relation between disgust and contamination OCD. Moreover the obtained results generally provide evidence for the disease-avoidance theory in disgust and support the possible hyperactivity of the behavioral immune system in contamination OCD.

Introduction: Investigations have suggested that people with an obsessive-compulsive disorder have an impaired processing of threatening information and attentional bias toward such stimuli. Meanwhile, according to the important role of disgusting stimuli in the persistence of obsessive-compulsive disorder, more research is needed to evaluate the visual attention of these people with regards to the disgusting stimuli. The choice of proper disgusting pictures for the assessment of visual attentional processes in obsessive-compulsive disorder is yet to be addressed. This research aimed to develop and validate a test serving the above purpose using disgusting and matched neutral pictures. Method: To this end, 113 paired disgusting pictures which were matched with neutral ones in terms of size, resolution, complexity and background, were selected through a thorough search in the web. Assessment of the external validity of the pictures was performed by five independent psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. As such, 73 neutral and 80 disgusting pictures which met the experts’ criteria were selected. To assess the internal validity, pictures were submitted to 20 subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder (12 cases with washing rituals and 8 without). Subjects were then asked to evaluate the pictures based on the four dimensions including, valence, arousal, disgusting and threatening load from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest).Results: The results of discriminant validity evaluation and reliability of measures, indicated that the pictures which were selected in this study as disgusting-neutral pictures are sufficiently valid and reliable.Conclusion: Pictures which were selected in this study as disgusting-neutral pictures could be suitable for the assessment of visual attention processes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and washing rituals.

2Background and Aim: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health condition characterized by repetitive thoughts and behaviors. This study aimed to assess the impact of emotion regulation therapy on the severity of obsessive symptoms, disgust propensity, and cognitive-executive functions in patients with OCD. Methods: This clinical trial included two groups: an experimental group receiving emotion regulation therapy in addition to medication, and a control group receiving only medication. A total of 48 patients with OCD were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to each group (24 individuals per group). Assessment tools included the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Disgust Propensity Scale, Iowa Task, Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, and Stroop Color-Word Task. The experimental group received the emotion regulation therapy along with medication while the control group just received medication. Results: Following the intervention, the experimental group exhibited a significant decrease in obsessive symptoms severity, and disgust propensity compared to the control group. Additionally, the experimental group demonstrated enhanced cognitive-executive functions (reduced risk-taking behavior, improved inhibition, greater psychological flexibility, and enhanced problem-solving abilities) than the control group. Conclusion: Emotion regulation therapy was found to effectively reduce obsessive symptoms severity, disgust propensity, and improve cognitive-executive functions in patients with OCD.

Background and Objective: In psychology and in the field of social cognition, avoidant behaviors can be influenced by the extent to which that people feel vulnerable to infectious diseases. The present study aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Persian version of Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire (P-PVDQ). Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional-analytic study. 500 students from Tehran University were recruited through convenience sampling from six different faculties and the participants completed Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, Disgust Scale-Revised and Health Anxiety Questionnaire (the two latter ones used for convergent validity). The process of translation and back translation was conducted for PVDQ. After data collection, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, reliability coefficients and convergent validity were conducted by SPSS18 and AMOS20. Results: Exploratory factor analysis showed two factors: “, Perceived Infectability”,and “, Germ Aversion”, . Moreover, this two-factor model has good fit indices in Confirmatory factor analysis including 1. 68 for CMIN/DF and 0. 05 for RMSEA. This questionnaire showed enough convergent validity and had enough cronebach’, s alpha (α, =0. 83) and test-retest reliability coefficients. Conclusion: Except item 13 which has loaded on the different factor in the Persian version, compared to the original questionnaire, the Persian version of Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire is consistent with the English version and has enough psychometric properties and can be applied in research which needs to evaluate self-reported perceived vulnerability to disease.

Objective: The studies indicate that the "eye-blink" component of "acoustic startle reflex," can be modulated through emotionally slide stimuli. Pleasant stimulants reduce eye-blink amplitude, whereas unpleasant stimulants enhance them. Method: The present study examines the modulation of the acoustic startle reflexes through a short film clips (2-min), classified as pleasant, unpleasant and neutral, on the basis of subjective ratings on 22 males and females aged between 18-45 years old. Findings: Results indicate a significant reduction of startle during the pleasant clips and an increase during unpleasant clips. However, one of the two unpleasant clips (a medical demonstration film depicting details of toe surgery) inhibited the startle reflex rather than augmented it. This is discussed in terms of the proposition that only stimuli which arouse fear, can be guaranteed to augment startle; and repulsive stimuli may produce perceptual and emotional "blunting" that reduces startle amplitude.