Situations that characterize contempt: An exploratory study using comparisons with disgust and anger

Abstract

This study examined the types of situations that evoke contempt. Further, to identify situations that characterize contempt, (a) based on participant responses to each situation, contempt, disgust, and anger were compared; and (b) the intensity of contempt was compared between situations. In the preliminary study, information on situations wherein participants felt contempt was collected and categorized based on content similarity. In the main study, the intensity of feelings of contempt, disgust, and anger regarding situational items developed in the preliminary study were rated. Cluster analysis based on the scores of the three emotions showed that the situational items could be classified into clusters of: “disrespectful behavior,” “shortsighted behavior,” and “lacking common sense.” A repeated two-way analysis of variance (regarding situation clusters and types of emotion) revealed that the intensity of contempt was stronger (a) than that of disgust and anger in cases of “shortsighted behavior” and “lacking common sense” and (b) in cases of “shortsighted behavior” than in cases of “lacking common sense.” Therefore, we conclude that “shortsighted behavior” characterizes contempt.