The impact of disgust on consumers’ purchase intentions: an empirical assessment

Purpose – This study adds to the research on disgust by proposing a theoretical framework encompassing contamination-based, moral and structural disgust dimensions. The study empirically assesses the impact of these three dimensions on consumers’ purchase intentions for different product categories. Design/methodology/approach – The study investigates consumer reaction to disgusting stimuli related to attractiveness, expertise and trustworthiness products by means of closed-ended questionnaires administered to three consumer samples. Findings – Contamination-based disgust reduces the intention to purchase expertise products. Similarly, structural disgust reduces the intention to purchase trustworthiness products. Moral disgust seems to have a positive effect on the intention to purchase attractiveness products. Research limitations/implications – Marketing strategies for expertise and trustworthiness products should emphasize their pureness and capacity to match consumer expectations, respectively. Ad hoc strategies centered on moral disgust could be designed for attractiveness products. Originality/value – This study proposes a new conceptualization of consumer disgust and shows that the identified disgust dimensions have different effects on consumer intention to purchase attractiveness, expertise and trustworthiness products.