Abstract
This literature review serves as a map for understanding the relation between disgust sensitivity and trait orderliness, with a focus on a cybernetic framework to conceptualize the emotion of disgust as an evolutionary system. It adopts a systematic approach that begins with the evolutionary foundations and basic definitions of disgust as an emotion, trait orderliness, and, lastly, the process by which these traits could be pathologized. The pathologization is explained within the hypothesized cybernetic system (the Cybernetic Disgust-Orderliness Hypothesis) with the goal of demonstrating the interdependency of trait orderliness and the emotion of disgust. The body of research regarding the emotion of disgust and trait orderliness is fragmented due to the sheer complexity of this topic; hence, a comprehensive literature review is required to initially foster an understanding of the existing research and ultimately to introduce a unique conceptualization through which the interpretation of the interconnectedness of disgust and trait orderliness becomes easier to assess and operationalize. Throughout this literature review, a detailed analysis of major research conducted on disgust and orderliness is provided, with the purpose of understanding their evolutionary functions, examining how they affect human behavior across multiple domains, analyzing their cross-domain interconnectedness, discussing the clinical results of their pathologization, and ultimately proposing hypotheses for future research.
Faculty Advisor
Whitney K. Whitaker, Ph.D.
Department/Program
Psychology
Submission Type
online only poster
Date
4-4-2026
Rights
Copyright the Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Rad, Ari
(2026)
"Disgust Sensitivity and Orderliness,"
SACAD: Scholarly Activities: Vol. 2026, Article 34.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad/vol2026/iss2026/34
