Swedish scientists surveyed a representative sample of 2,000 people and found that when asked, in effect, to air their dirty laundry their fear of being seen as unclean overpowered environmental identities.
The quarter of respondents who were most prone to feelings of disgust washed their clothes an average of 5.61 times per person per month -30% more than the quarter least prone to such feelings.
The differences were greatest for households without children.
When it comes to behaviours, "disgust simply wins out", said Erik Klint, a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, in Gothenburg, Sweden, and lead author of the study. "The study shows that the higher our sensitivity to disgust, the more we wash, regardless of whether we value our environmental identity highly."
Klint and his colleague knew from previous research that many people do not link their laundry to the environment, despite washing machines draining energy and water. After seeing that studies to alter habits had mostly failed, the researchers decided to explore the societal dimensions that make people overwash clothes.
They found a high sensitivity to disgust, shame or violations of cleanliness norms was associated with frequent use of washing machines. They found no such effect for environmental beliefs.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin June 14, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin June 14, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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