The effects of incidental anger, contempt, and disgust on hostile language and implicit behaviors

Recent studies have suggested that the combination of the emotions anger-contempt-disgust (ANCODI) is associated with intergroup hostility. This study examined if incidental elicitation of this emotion combination causally produces hostile cognitions, language, and behaviors. Members of political groups were primed with either ANCODI, fear+sadness, or no emotion, and then engaged in creativity task in relation to their opponent or a non-opponent outgroup. The ANCODI mix produced more hostile cognitions, language, and implicit behaviors associated with hostility, in some cases specifically toward their opponent outgroups, than individuals primed with other emotions. Multiple mediation analyses indicated that the three emotions and their interactions mediated many of the effects.