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Additionally, while much has already been published on creative ways of fostering critical
thinking, specifically in this crisis instructors are encouraged to help identify ways that they can foster
more critical-thinking conducive environments in their digital and/or physical classrooms. Facilitating
transitions between unstructured and more focused lecture time as well as adding intentional transitions
between breaks and the resuming of class can help students focus themselves more fully on the material
and incite engagement. Additionally, encouraging critical thinking by rewarding dissenting views and
challenging student answers constructively are specific emphases that educators can make in helping
counteract the impact of disgust reactions. Finally, fostering more small-group and one-on-one
conversations can offer different environments for students to test their ideas and thoughts in safer
settings than large class discussions.

In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the educational landscape. One important
impact of this crisis that is often overlooked is the increased disgust reaction among both students and
educators. Disgust encourages a hypervigilant attention to boundaries, pathogens (physical and
cognitive), and anything or anyone labeled other. This runs directly contrary to the goal of higher
education in encouraging critical thinking and a re-evaluation of boundaries. Critical thinking is
inherently a disgust-inducing activity. Disgust is defensive, developing stability; critical thinking is
expansive, critiquing beliefs and questioning boundaries. Without care and attention, education is at risk
of being overwhelmed by disgust and reducing itself to training, losing its most important contribution.

Moreover, the global increased disgust reaction threatens to inhibit students from being able to
fully engage with new challenging material and ideas, restricting self-reflection. As their emotional and
cognitive resources are already taxed by their pre-existing constrictions, the increased disgust response
further diminishes their capacity to engage their studies. Additionally, educators are more prone to stick
to familiar methods of teaching and discourage questioning, dissenting opinions, and discussion. An
unacknowledged increase in educators’ disgust response is likely to detract from their capability to
engage and support student learning in and outside of the classroom. As a result, both students and
educators are at risk of losing critical thought, arguably the most important aspect of their work.

References

Chapman, H. A., & Anderson, A. K. (2012). Understanding disgust. Annals of the New York Academy
of Sciences, 1251(1), 62-76. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06369.x

Ching, T. H., Williams, M. T., Siev, J., & Olatunji, B. O. (2018). Responsibility/Threat overestimation
moderates the relationship between contamination-based disgust and obsessive–compulsive
concerns about sexual orientation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 47(4), 1109-1117.
doi:10.1007/s10508-018-1165-z

Colorassi, J. (2020). Ew, gross! Four ways disgust is shaping the coronavirus pandemic. The
Brink, Retrieved June 23, 2020, from http://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/4-ways-disgust-is-
shaping-the-coronavirus-pandemic/#comments

Cushman, F. (2020) Rationalization is rational. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 43, e28: 1–59.
doi:10.1017/ S0140525X19001730

Erikson, M. G., & Erikson, M. (2019). Learning outcomes and critical thinking – good intentions in
conflict. Studies in Higher Education, 44(12), 2293–2303.

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