Perceptions of women disclosing intermittent self-catheterization: the role of empathy and disgust

Abstract

The behavioural immune system evolved to detect and avoid pathogens, triggering disgust and aversive cognitive and behavioural responses. Non-contagious cues resembling infection (e.g., bodily fluids) are often misperceived as pathogenic, potentially contributing to stigma experienced by individuals with disabilities. While empathy is associated with more positive attitudes, little is known about response to disability disclosure in friendship contexts. This experiment is the first to examine the role of the behavioural immune system, empathy, and disability disclosure in perceptions of intermittent self-catheterization (ISC). Participants read a vignette about a female who discloses (or does not disclose) an invisible disability (e.g., ISC) and completed measures of their affective, cognitive, and behavioural perceptions; desire for her friendship; disgust; and empathy. Behavioural immune system activation did not significantly predict perceptions of ISC alone. However, empathy was a significant predictor, and the behavioural immune system did explain additional variance in negative perceptions when empathy was statistically controlled. Contrary to the hypothesis, the woman disclosing ISC was perceived more positively and less negatively than the control woman when social desirability was controlled, with no differences in perceptions between the ISC and colostomy conditions. Group effects were strongest for cognitions. Level of disclosure (low vs. high) did not significantly influence perceptions of the woman disclosing ISC. These findings suggest disability disclosure in the context of ISC use is not associated with stigma. Further, findings suggest that strategies focused on fostering empathy and targeting cognitions may help promote more inclusive attitudes toward individuals with disabilities.