Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2018
Abstract
Latinas/os have been underrepresented in research investigating the role of disgust propensity in phobias. The current study was the first to examine associations between disgust propensity and Blood-Injection-Injury (BII) phobia, when acculturation was controlled for, in Latina/o Americans (n = 376). A structural model was developed with a BII fear latent variable consisting of fears of injection, blood, and sharp objects (causing injuries). The disgust propensity latent variable was formed with three domains of core, animal reminder, and contamination disgust elicitors. In the model, disgust propensity predicted BII fear when controlling for acculturation. A series of measurement and structural invariance tests demonstrated that the model was invariant between males and females. The current findings supported the hypothesis that disgust plays a role in BII fear symptoms similarly in Latinas and Latinos. The findings are expected to improve our understanding of mechanisms and treatment approaches for BII phobia symptoms in this underserved cultural group.
Recommended Citation
Hirai, M., Vernon, L. L., & Dolma, S. (2018). A Gender Invariant Model of Disgust Propensity in Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia in Latina/o Individuals. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 23(10). https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2018.1487985
Publication Title
Psychology, Health and Medicine
DOI
10.1080/13548506.2018.1487985
Comments
© 2018 Informa UK Limited. Original published version available at https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2018.1487985