Babies Confirm: Fear of Snakes and Spiders Is Hardwired
October 25, 2017—A new study provides compelling evidence that people are born with the fear of snakes and spiders. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute and Uppsala University observed the response to pictures of snakes and spiders in six-month-old children, the youngest group ever for this kind of test. In the study, the babies looked at images of the potentially fearsome creatures, and neutral images of flowers and fish for comparison. The researchers measured changes in the diameter of the subjects' pupils. Eyes dilate as part of an automatic response to perceived danger. Overall, dilation increased more for a "dangerous" animal than a neutral image. The authors believe, since the infants wouldn't have had enough experience with the animals to develop a learned response, they were likely born predisposed for the reaction. READ:
Are We Born Fearing Spiders and Snakes?
Many of us feel anxiety around any snakes or spiders, even harmless ones.
The fear doesn't seem to come from prior contact.
We may be born with it, according to a study by the Max Planck Institute and Uppsala University.
Researchers measured the pupils of six-month-old babies looking at images of spiders and snakes, and similar ones of flowers and fish.
The body's automatic reaction to danger can cause pupils to dilate.
Overall, the babies' eyes dilated more for "dangerous" images than neutral ones.
In babies, the response likely isn't based on experience.
The findings could explain why phobias for spiders and snakes are so common.
