Confirming the Three-Factor Structure of the Disgust Scale—Revised in Eight Countries

• Published in: Journal of cross-cultural psychology Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 234 - 255
• Main Authors: Olatunji, Bunmi O., Moretz, Melanie W., McKay, Dean, Bjorklund, Fredrik, de Jong, Peter J., Haidt, Jonathan, Hursti, Timo J., Imada, Sumio, Koller, Silvia, Mancini, Francesco, Page, Andrew C., Schienle, Anne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.03.2009; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Australia; Brazil; Confirmatory factor analysis; Cross-cultural analysis; cross-culture; Crosscultural psychology; Crosscultural values; Crossnational studies; Cultural differences; Disgust; Disgust Scale-Revived; disgust sensitivity; factor; Factor Analysis; Factor Structure; Gender; Germany; Italy; Japan; Multicultural perspectives; Netherlands; Psychology; Psykologi; Questionnaires; SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP; SOCIAL SCIENCES; Socialvetenskap; structure; Sweden; Taste; U.S.A; Sweden; Netherlands; United States > US; Japan; Brazil; Italy; Australia; Germany; cross-culture; Disgust Scale—Revived; factor structure; disgust sensitivity
• ISSN: 0022-0221; 1552-5422; 1552-5422
• DOI: 10.1177/0022022108328918

The current study evaluates the factor structure of the Disgust Scale—Revised (DS-R) in eight countries: Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States (N = 2,606). Confirmatory factor analysis is used to compare two different models of the DS-R and to investigate the invariance of the factor structure of the DS-R across countries and gender. A three-factor solution consisting of three different but interrelated disgust factors (a 12-item core disgust factor, an 8-item animal-reminder disgust factor, and a 5-item contamination disgust factor) best accounted for the data in all countries except the Netherlands. Relative to the United States, the three-factor solution is invariant in Australia, Brazil, and Japan but not in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The three-factor solution is also invariant across gender in most countries. The implications of these cross-cultural findings for promoting a more valid and reliable assessment of disgust dimensions, as assessed by the DS-R, are discussed.