Predictors of personality sensitivity to disgust

Introduction. Given that sensitivity is an increased susceptibility to stimuli, which is realized through negative emotional reactions, the questions associated with personality-dependent reactivity remain open. In solving the problems of psychological safety and personal effectiveness, there is a contradiction between the relevance of the results obtained in studies of behavioral reactivity in the processing of affective stimuli and a lack of information about its psychological determinants. Aim: this paper is aimed at developing a predictive model of sensitivity to disgust. Materials and methods. The study involved 159 female students of the humanitarian pedagogical university. Based on the results obtained with the Disgust Scale, the participants were divided into three groups: tolerant to disgust - TD (n = 52), sensitive to disgust - CD (n = 31) and with an uncertain attitude toward disgust - VD (n = 76). An extended battery of psychological tests was used to evaluate the current state of female students, their formal and dynamic qualities, as well as the properties of their personality and emotional spheres. Multiple regression analysis was used to develop predictive models of sensitivity and tolerance to an affective stimulus. Results. Among the personality determinants, intuitive empathy, the attitudes of empathy, verbal aggression, and negativism have a positive effect on CD, while a penetrating ability of empathy demonstrates the negative one. TD is mainly negatively influenced by penetrating ability, empathy, extraversion, suspicion, and irritability; the emotional channel of empathy and verbal aggression have a positive effect. Emotional determinants of CD are mainly the negative influence of depersonalization, control of expression, and understanding of one's own and others' emotions, while emotional exhaustion and intrapersonal emotional intelligence have a positive effect. It is noteworthy that no emotional determinants of TD were revealed as a result of the regression analysis. Mental states as determinants of CD are supported by the positive influence of rigidity and the negative one of neuropsychic stability; TD is determined by the positive influence of frustration and the negative one of anxiety. Conclusion. The identified determinants of sensitivity to disgust are recommended to be considered markers of internal latent mechanisms that provide a number of adaptive reactions to the socio-professional environment.