Does Eating Something Gross Make You Judgmental?
By Lexi Petronis, Glamour magazine
Taking a bite out of a piece of food that grosses you out can be a huge bummer, for sure. But could having a bad taste in your mouth--literally!--leave a bad taste in your mouth about other people's morals?
A study published in Psychological Science has found that eating something bad-tasting might make us judge people and situations more harshly.
Huh! Researchers gave study subjects water (neutral), berry punch (yummy), or Swedish bitters (yucko) before having them judge scenarios like second cousins sleeping together or (gross-out alert--don't read this if you're still eating breakfast or about to enjoy lunch) a man consuming his deceased dog. The result: people who'd had the bad-tasting drink were much more judgmental of the scenarios.
The researchers also asked study participants about their political preferences, reports MSNBC: "They found that conservatives were significantly harsher in their moral decision-making after the bitter drink than those given the sweet or control beverage. Other studies have suggested that people with conservative views are more sensitive to disgust than liberals."
The scientists are still working on why physical taste might have something to do with moral judgment--and also how long it might last.
Wacky! So what do you think?
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Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio
