Criteria for basic emotions: Seeking DISGUST?

Abstract

In response to our proposal that DISGUST be considered an emotional system comparable to the SEEKING system, Panksepp has argued that the inclusion of disgust would necessitate the addition of hunger, thirst, fatigue, and other affective states. Although the English word disgust may carry primarily gustatory connotations, we are not suggesting a distaste system but a broad multipurpose system comparable to SEEKING. Our proposal is that nutritionally-, sexually-, and socially-related stimuli plus ideational components are all able to activate either the SEEKING or DISGUST systems in analogous ways. Our intent is to point out this evolutionary trajectory from illness-related reactions, which include distaste reflexes, through more complex learned aversions and avoidance responses, to human core disgust, which eventually gives rise to a secondary emotion encompassing socio-moral attributes.

Notes

¹We believe the avoidance of copulation after illness referred to by Panksepp supports rather than detracts from our argument. It is, indeed, reminiscent of social disgust in humans but retains an illness-avoidance base. Further, any emotional system may be triggered by learned stimuli.