Disgust Scale–Revised (DS-R) Test

Learn what situations and images trigger your strongest disgust reactions in about 5 minutes. With 27 items, it maps food, body, and moral sensitivities to support research, care, and prevention.

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Questions: 275 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

24,913 views

1,913 completions

1,533 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

2/4

Contamination (C)

Measures disgust sensitivity related to contamination concerns when substances or contact are perceived as transferable between people or objects.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1.2: Low | 1.2 – 2.8: Moderate | 2.8 – 4: High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of contamination-related disgust, suggesting occasional discomfort with perceived transfer of substances or germs but not consistently strong reactions.

example score

2/4

Animal Reminder Disgust (ARD)

Measures disgust sensitivity to physicality-related cues such as bodily processes, odors, injuries, and reminders of mortality.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1.4: Low | 1.5 – 3: Moderate | 3.1 – 4: High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a middling tendency to feel disgust in response to bodily/animal-reminder cues.

example score

2/4

Core Disgust (CD)

Measures sensitivity to core (oral) disgust triggers such as food-related cues, bodily secretions, and animals perceived as contamination risks.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1.6: Low | 1.6 – 2.7: Moderate | 2.7 – 4: High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a typical-to-elevated aversive response to food and contamination-related cues without strong avoidance across most situations.

example score

2/4

Disgust Sensitivity (DS)

Measures how strongly a person tends to react with disgust across a range of potentially aversive or contaminating situations.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1.4: Low | 1.5 – 2.7: Moderate | 2.8 – 4: High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of disgust sensitivity, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme tendency to feel disgust in response to common triggers.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People with strong reactions

41%OF USERS

They take it to understand why certain smells, bodily fluids, or taboo topics trigger intense discomfort and how broad those triggers are.

Therapy and health seekers

34%OF USERS

They use it to map disgust sensitivity that may influence anxiety, contamination fears, eating habits, or avoidance behaviors.

Psychology students and researchers

25%OF USERS

They take it for coursework or studies exploring how different kinds of disgust relate to judgment, social attitudes, and decision-making.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

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an AI Therapist

Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Pollution (P)

Average

1.7

Normal range

1.1 — 2.2

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Primal Fear (PF)

Average

1.5

Normal range

0.9 — 2

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

The Core of Disgust (TCoD)

Average

2.8

Normal range

2.2 — 3.4

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Sensitivity to Disgust (StD)

Average

1.5

Normal range

0.9 — 2.1

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures sensitivity to disgust across multiple domains. It captures differences in reactions to cues such as contamination, bodily processes, and moral violations.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

Completion time is about five minutes. The questionnaire includes 27 items.

What types of situations are covered by the items?

Items describe common disgust-evoking cues, including food-related stimuli, unpleasant smells, bodily abnormalities, and taboo topics. Some items address social and moral scenarios.

How should responses be selected?

Select the option that best matches the immediate reaction to each situation. Responses should reflect typical reactions rather than rare events or what seems socially acceptable.

How are results typically used?

Scores are used to compare relative sensitivity across disgust domains and overall intensity. They may support research and inform clinical or health psychology assessments alongside other measures.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Disgust Scale–Revised (DS-R) Test - Symptoms and Signs

disgust

This self-report measure assesses individual differences in sensitivity to disgust across a range of common elicitors. Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R) is typically used to characterize the intensity and pattern of disgust responding for research and clinical screening purposes. It was developed by Paul Rozin and Clark R. McCauley.

The instrument includes 27 items and takes about 5 minutes to complete. Items sample reactions to diverse disgust-related cues (e.g., contamination-related stimuli and other aversive scenarios), allowing Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R) to support a broad profile of disgust propensity rather than a single undifferentiated score.

Author: Clark R. McCauley, jonathan-haidt, Paul Rozin

Literature: Gross, J. J., & Levenson, R. W. Emotion elicitation using films. Cognition and Emotion. 1995.; Haidt, J., McCauley, C., & Rozin, P. Individual differences in sensitivity to disgust: A scale sampling seven domains of disgust elicitors. Personality and Individual Differences. 1994.; Olatunji, B. O., Williams, N. L., Tolin, D. F., Abramowitz, J. S., Sawchuk, C. N., Lohr, J. M., & Elwood, L. S. The Disgust Scale: Item analysis, factor structure, and suggestions for refinement. Psychological Assessment. 2007.

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