Exploring psychology and nursing students perceptions of disgust
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In: Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, Vol. 7, No. 1, 01.2017.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring psychology and nursing students perceptions of disgust
AU - Ousey, K.
AU - Roberts, Deborah
AU - Stephenson, John
PY - 2017/1
Y1 - 2017/1
N2 - Objective: Practitioners can often experience feelings of disgust when exposed to malodorous wounds. This study reports on an investigation to measure a group of psychology and nursing students (n = 158) perceptions of disgust using the Disgust Scale-Revised questionnaire.Methods: Data were collected via anonymous on line survey of 158 psychology and nursing students at two Universities in the UK between June and July 2015.Results: Statistical analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the sample were female (97.3%) with nursing students being more resilient to disgust. Disgust scores diminished with increasing age. Psychology students are more sensitive to actual and perceived vulnerability to disease. Levels of perceived vulnerability falls with increasing age.Discussion and conclusions: Nursing students undertake 50% of their pre-registration programme in clinical practice where they may have been exposed to potentially disgust provoking situations that may sensitize them to such situations. It is unclear whether their disgust diminishes because they become more tolerant, or accustomed to such situations or to other factors. Previous and repeated exposure to situations provoking disgust may however, explain why nursing student responses differ to their psychology counterparts. Nursing students are disgusted less easily than psychology students; although all individuals become slightly more tolerant to certain issues over time. Psychology students are significantly more sensitive to actual and perceived vulnerability to disease than nursing students. Perceived vulnerability falls with increasing age. In order to fully examine the impact of gender on disgust more research is required with a purposive sample.
AB - Objective: Practitioners can often experience feelings of disgust when exposed to malodorous wounds. This study reports on an investigation to measure a group of psychology and nursing students (n = 158) perceptions of disgust using the Disgust Scale-Revised questionnaire.Methods: Data were collected via anonymous on line survey of 158 psychology and nursing students at two Universities in the UK between June and July 2015.Results: Statistical analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the sample were female (97.3%) with nursing students being more resilient to disgust. Disgust scores diminished with increasing age. Psychology students are more sensitive to actual and perceived vulnerability to disease. Levels of perceived vulnerability falls with increasing age.Discussion and conclusions: Nursing students undertake 50% of their pre-registration programme in clinical practice where they may have been exposed to potentially disgust provoking situations that may sensitize them to such situations. It is unclear whether their disgust diminishes because they become more tolerant, or accustomed to such situations or to other factors. Previous and repeated exposure to situations provoking disgust may however, explain why nursing student responses differ to their psychology counterparts. Nursing students are disgusted less easily than psychology students; although all individuals become slightly more tolerant to certain issues over time. Psychology students are significantly more sensitive to actual and perceived vulnerability to disease than nursing students. Perceived vulnerability falls with increasing age. In order to fully examine the impact of gender on disgust more research is required with a purposive sample.
KW - Disgust
KW - Malodour
KW - Odour
KW - Nursing
KW - Psychology
KW - Students
U2 - 10.5430/jnep.v7n1p17
DO - 10.5430/jnep.v7n1p17
M3 - Article
VL - 7
JO - Journal of Nursing Education and Practice
JF - Journal of Nursing Education and Practice
SN - 1925-4040
IS - 1
ER -