Why do some gross words creep us out?
1,682 views · Published 7 September 2015 · 1:27 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: ScIQ · 2015 · Science & Technology
Moist. Pustule. Slurp. Panties. If words like this freak you out, you’re experiencing a phenomena called "word aversion". A 2014 paper published by the Cognitive Science Society found our reaction to these words is caused by what we call the ‘revulsion response’; a powerful emotional warning sign that keeps us away from things like rotting food and disease-carrying insects. Words can also trigger the revoltion response. In the past, scientists believed the reaction was caused by the words that had ‘phonetically abrasive’ word letters like the u sound in “mucus”, “fungus” “bulbus”. Or the F sound in “fetus” and “fecal” and “fester” But the main trigger is not the way it word sounds, but the image it triggers. To put it another way, it’s not the letters and sounds that freak us out, but the ideas it triggers in our brain and the images it conjures up. So words like soup and creamy freak out some people, whereas words that sound similar and like "suit" and "dreamy" do not. So next time you shudder at the word pustule or phlegm, just remember it’s your very clever brain doing it’s best to help you avoid gross stuff and keep you healthy. This video is presented by Jayde Lovell, produced and edited by Yohana Yoshe, at Youtube Space NYC. SCIQ ON TYT Produced by Jayde Lovell and Bec Susan Gill, co-edited by Yohana Yoshe. ScIQ is a partner of the TYT Network. Co-created by our wonderful Patreon supporters: Edward H. Carpenter, Emelye Lovell, and Christine Gill. To support ScIQ on Patreon, visit https://www.patreon.com/ScIQ Follow SciQ on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ScIQ_TYT Follow SciQ on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sciq.tyt?ref=hl Follow SciQ on Tumblr: http://dssscience.tumblr.com/ Follow Jayde on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaydelovell Follow Jayde on Instagram: www.instagram.com/jaydelovell Follow Jayde on the interwebs: www.jaydelovell.com Follow Bec on Twitter: https://twitter.com/becsusangill Follow Bec on Instagram: https://instagram.com/becsusangill Follow Bec on Tumblr: http://becsusangill.tumblr.com/ CONTACT For enquiries – please email [email protected] or [email protected]
