Tiktok 'chicken ick' spurs psychological debate over food disgust

A bizarre trend sweeping TikTok – the sudden, inexplicable revulsion towards chicken – is prompting serious discussion among psychologists and food scientists about the nature of disgust and how social media can influence our perceptions. Forget food poisoning; this is something far stranger: a visceral aversion to a meal you previously enjoyed, often experienced mid-bite.

The viral phenomenon: what is the 'chicken ick'?

The term, playfully coined on TikTok with the refrain “chicky icky tikky tokky,” initially seemed like a lighthearted joke. But Dr. Lorenzo Stafford, an associate professor in psychobiological psychology at the University of Portsmouth, insists there’s a genuine psychological phenomenon at play. He explains that it's rooted in our sensory experiences—primarily smell and taste—and how we process those sensations. The core issue arises when the expected taste, smell, or appearance of the chicken deviates from previous experiences, triggering a feeling of unease and disgust.

But the story doesn’t end there. Stafford highlights the role of “emotional contagion,” a well-documented psychological effect where emotions spread from one person to another. Seeing someone else express disgust, even on a platform like TikTok, can directly influence your own reaction to the same food. The impact is surprisingly potent; it’s a subtle, yet powerful, shift in perception.

What triggers this response? The chain of events can be startlingly simple. As Stafford notes in The Conversation,