It may seem normal to be disgusted by the smell of sweaty feet or bad breath.
But people who recoil at unpleasant body odours are more likely to support authoritarian leaders, while liberals are apparently less bothered by a pongy armpit.
A study has found supporters of Donald Trump are more likely to be disgusted by body odours, including the smell of feet, sweat and someone breaking wind.
The findings are linked to a deep-seated ‘defence mechanism’ to avoid infectious diseases, which are linked to bad smells, according to psychologists.
The study’s lead author Dr Jonas Olofsson, from the University of Stockholm, said: ‘There was a solid connection between how strongly someone was disgusted by smells and their desire to have a dictator-like leader who can suppress radical protest movements and ensure that different groups “stay in their places”.
‘That type of society reduces contact among different groups and, at least in theory, decreases the chance of becoming ill.’
A study has found supporters of Donald Trump are more likely to be disgusted by body odours, including the smell of feet, sweat and someone breaking wind (stock photo)
Dr Oloffson’s team theorised that there may a link between feelings of disgust and how a person wants society to be organised.
To test the idea, the researchers developed a scale that allowed 201 study participants to rate their levels of disgust when exposed to six body odours. These were bad breath, smelly feet, sweat, wind, urine and faeces.
They found a clear link between disliking bad smells and support of authoritarian leaders, which people expressed by agreeing with statements such as the need for a ‘mighty leader’, to trust ‘the proper authorities’ and ignore ‘noisy rabble-rousers’.
A further experiment, involving 391 people, found those who were more disgusted by body odours were moderately more likely to support Donald Trump than Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US election.
The psychologists suggest people who dislike a bad smell may unconsciously see germs as an ‘invisible threat’.
Policies to keep out foreign people, such as the US President’s controversial plan to build a wall separating Mexico from the US, could be a way to avoid unfamiliar germs from elsewhere.
The study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, states: ‘In fact, it can be argued that Trump’s firm stance against immigration, especially from groups viewed as culturally unfamiliar, might meet an implicit need of protection from pathogen threats from people perceived as either potential carriers of unfamiliar pathogens, or groups whose behaviours in disease-avoidance relevant behaviours (eg hygiene or food preparation) was perceived as deviant.’
Disgust is a recognised basic emotion that evolved for survival.
Fundamentally it offers protection against things that are potentially infectious and harmful, such as rotten meat, vomit and excrement.
On the findings, Dr Olafsson said: ‘We thought that was interesting because Donald Trump talks frequently about how different people disgust him. He thinks that women are disgusting and that immigrants spread disease, and it comes up often in his rhetoric.
‘It fits with our hypothesis that his supporters would be more easily disgusted themselves.’