Cultural Variability in predictors of mental contamination: A comparison of Turkish and American samples

Abstract

Mental contamination (MC) involves feelings of dirtiness arising from internal stimuli rather than external stimuli. While cognitive models of contamination fear may apply to MC, its unique features—such as moral elements, diffuse dirtiness, and limited relief after washing—warrant further study. Cross-cultural variability in cognitive factors also remains underexplored. This study examined cognitive factors (i.e., obsessive beliefs, inferential confusion, fear of self, and scrupulosity) in MC among U.S. and Turkish students, aiming to identify shared and distinct processes. A total of 397 U.S. undergraduates and 461 Turkish undergraduates completed self-report questionnaires of MC, other obsessive-compulsive symptom and cognition domains, and general distress. Turkish students reported higher contact contamination, while U.S. students had higher MC. Turkish participants also showed greater Fear of God-related scrupulosity and inferential confusion. Regression analysis revealed that several factors consistently predicted MC across both cultural groups: general distress, contact contamination severity, fear of self, and overestimation of threat. Other predictors varied by culture: inferential confusion and the fear of God were uniquely associated with mental contamination in U.S. students, while fear of sin was a significant predictor only among Turkish students. These findings may reflect differences in cultural context (including prevalent religious doctrine) between U.S. and Turkish cultures.