Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Household food waste is shaped not only by practical factors but also by psychological processes that are not yet well understood. This study examined whether food disgust sensitivity — the tendency to experience strong disgust in response to food-related cues — is associated with objectively measured household food waste. Food Disgust Scale (FDS) survey data were collected from 36 households in Uppsala, Sweden, and linked to food waste measurements obtained through automated smart bin technology over monitoring periods averaging 749 days. Spearman's rank correlation was used as the primary statistical method. The primary hypothesis — that higher food-disgust sensitivity would predict greater food waste — was not supported. The association between FDS scores and per capita food waste was weak and negative (ρ = −0.08, p = .641), contrary to the direction expected based on prior self-report research. The study was severely underpowered (7% power), meaning the null result cannot be interpreted as evidence against an effect. Household size was the only significant predictor (ρ = −0.34, p = .040), with larger households generating less waste per person — consistent with a well-established economies-of-scale effect. The negative direction of the FDS–waste association is discussed in terms of pre-purchase avoidance: high-FDS individuals may avoid purchasing foods that trigger disgust reactions, thereby reducing the amount of food that could potentially be discarded in the household. This mechanism is invisible to smart bin measurement. The study demonstrates the importance of objective waste measurement and highlights the need for larger, more representative samples in future research on psychological predictors of food waste.