تنفر به عنوان یک محرک اجتناب از عنکبوت هراسی

Individuals with small animal phobias show elevated general disgust sensitivity, and spider phobics often endorse both fear and disgust in response to a spider. Some researchers have argued that the link between disgust and fear of small animals is spurious. On the other hand, disgust may play a functional role, as might any negative emotion that is strongly stimulus-bound, in which escape or avoidance is negatively reinforced. It is therefore important to clarify whether disgust has a functional or epiphenomenal role in avoidance of feared stimuli. The present study examined the degree to which disgust motivates avoidance of spider-related stimuli using a series of behavioral avoidance tests comparing a harmless tarantula, a pen that had come in contact with the spider, and a clean pen. Peak disgust was a stronger predictor than anxiety of avoidance of both the spider and the “contaminated” pen.