HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series
HKS Working Paper No. RWP10-021
June 2010
Abstract
Humans naturally dispose of objects that disgust them. Is this phenomenon so deeply embedded
that even incidental disgust – i.e., where the source of disgust is unrelated to a possessed object –
triggers disposal? Two experiments were designed to answer this question. Two film clips
served as disgust and neutral primes; the objects were routine commodities (boxes of office
supplies). Results revealed that the incidental disgust condition powerfully increased the
frequency with which decision makers traded away a commodity they owned for a new
commodity (more than doubling the probability in each condition), thereby countering otherwise
robust status quo bias (Samuelson & Zeckhauser, 1988). Decision makers were unaware of
disgust’s impact. Even when warned to correct for it, they failed to do so. These studies
presented real choices with tangible rewards. Their findings thus have implications not only for
theories of affect and choice, but also for practical improvements in everyday decisions.
Citation
Han, Seunghee, Jennifer S. Lerner, and Richard J. Zeckhauser. "Disgust Promotes Disposal: Souring the Status Quo." HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series RWP10-021, June 2010.