Disgusting decision-making with Yoel Inbar

PodcastDecember 13, 2021
"Four malodorous objects, labeled 'ROTTEN CHEESE,' 'MIKE FROM OFFICE WHO MICROWAVES TUNA,' 'THE SMELLY SOCK,' and 'MOTHER-IN-LAW'S CASSEROLE,' are displayed in blue cases under a 'MUSEUM OF DISGUST' banner with a stick figure nearby."
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That feeling of disgust, it’s very strong and it powerfully pushes you towards saying, “Ugh, morally wrong.” But ask yourself whether that conclusion is really justifiable. If you’re in a place where you can’t give yourself good reasons or you see a conflict between that judgment and some other principles that you have, you should question the usefulness of using that disgust reaction to inform your judgment.

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Intro

In this episode of the Decision Corner, Brooke speaks with Yoel Inbar – professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and expert in how the feeling of disgust influences human judgment and decision-making. Together they define what it really means to feel a sense of disgust and its evolutionary purpose as a means of preventing risk or harm (like stopping us from eating rotten food!). On the flip-side, we hear about the negative consequences of disgust and why it can lead to biased or flawed judgements.

Some of the things discussed include:

  • What is disgust and what purpose does it serve from a biological or evolutionary perspective?
  • Why justifying our disgust with moral reasoning, i.e. “It disgusts me so it must be wrong!” can be troublesome.
  • Descriptive versus normative beliefs, and how disgust affects both in different ways.
  • Does disgust affect people differently, and do some people get more ‘grossed out’ by things than others?
  • Strategies to acknowledge our disgust, and allow us to question whether it’s serving us effectively or not.

About the Guest

Yoel Inbar

Yoel Inbar

Yoel Inbar is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and co-host of the podcast ‘Two Psychologists Four Beers’. He studies how intuitions and emotions—particularly disgust—affect our social, political, and moral beliefs. His work has evolved from studying how differences in the experience of disgust relate to social and political attitudes, to the varied ways in which moral intuitions guide beliefs and judgments, especially in social and political domains. Most recently, he has become interested in understanding the acceptance or rejection of new technologies, such as genetic engineering. Yoel holds a BA from the University of California at Berkeley as well as a PhD in Social and Personality Psychology from Cornell University.

About the Interviewer

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Dr. Brooke Struck

Dr. Brooke Struck is the Research Director at The Decision Lab. He is an internationally recognized voice in applied behavioural science, representing TDL’s work in outlets such as Forbes, Vox, Huffington Post and Bloomberg, as well as Canadian venues such as the Globe & Mail, CBC and Global Media. Dr. Struck hosts TDL’s podcast “The Decision Corner” and speaks regularly to practicing professionals in industries from finance to health & wellbeing to tech & AI.

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