Porzig-Drummonda, R. … [et al.] (2009). Can the emotion of disgust be harnessed to promote hand hygiene? : experimental and field-based tests. Social science & medicine ; vol. 68, no. 6 ; p. 1006-1012, doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.01.013
Two studies carried out in Sydney, Australia explored whether inducing disgust may be a useful addition to hand-hygiene interventions. Experiment 1 employed a novel laboratory measure of hand hygiene, and tested whether a brief (3-min) video-based intervention using disgust/education, improved hand hygiene relative to education alone and a control condition. On test, a week later, the disgust intervention significantly exceeded the education and control condition combined, although the effect size was modest. Experiment 2 examined the generality of this effect in a field study. During a baseline period, soap and paper towel use in a series of washrooms were covertly monitored. This was followed by an intervention period, in which two washrooms received disgust/education-based posters and a further two, educational posters, exhorting participants to wash their hands. A follow-up period, after the posters were removed, was also monitored. The disgust-based intervention was significantly better at promoting hand hygiene. These findings suggest that even brief disgust-based interventions may be successful and that these can be tested and developed under laboratory conditions.
Sanitation Updates 
As a 7th grade teacher, I saw it all. My students routinely exchanged gum, shared soda out of the same bottle, and placed food on their desk tops…where someone just sat. To combat this problem, I preached to them about the perils of filthy hands with some results. Finally, I was motivated into creating a series of handwashing charts that promoted handwashing. I posted these charts around the school and it motivated more kids to scrub up. I now sell these charts to hospitals and schools across the country.