Latent structure of aversion: Taxometric exploration

Abstract

Recent research has identified specific disorders that appear to be better characterized by the experience of aversion, rather than anxiety, which evolve from disgust-related affect. Three mathematically distinct taxometric procedures - MAXEIG, MAMBAC, and L-Mode - were applied to data from a large undiagnosed sample (N = 909) to determine whether aversion forms a distinct psychopathological category (i.e., an aversion taxon). Aversion was operationalized with self-report measures of the frequency of disgust experiences (Disgust Propensity), the perceived emotional impact of disgust experiences (Disgust Sensitivity), and contamination ideation and excessive washing (Contamination Fear). The collective results across procedures, consistency tests, and analysis of simulated comparison data produced converging evidence in support of the conclusion that the latent structure of aversion is dimensional. Implications of these findings for the clinical assessment of aversion and its disorders are discussed. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.