The Evolution of Aversion: Why even children are fearful of snakes (3/1/2008)
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| Parents and children were able to identify snakes more rapidly than they detected the other stimuli |
Some of the oldest tales and wisest mythology allude to the snake as a mischievous seducer, dangerous foe or powerful iconoclast; however, the legend surrounding this proverbial predator may not be based solely on fantasy. As scientists from the University of Virginia recently discovered, the common fear of snakes is most likely intrinsic.
Evolutionarily speaking, early humans who were capable of surviving the dangers of an uncivilized society adapted accordingly. And the same can be said of the common fear of certain animals, such as spiders and snakes: The ancestors of modern humans were either abnormally lucky or extraordinarily capable of detecting and deterring the threat of, for example, a poisonous snake.
Psychologists Vanessa LoBue and Judy DeLoache were able to show this phenomenon by examining the ability of adults and children to pinpoint snakes among other nonthreatening objects in pictures.
"We wanted to know whether preschool children, who have much less experience with natural threats than adults, would detect the presence of snakes as quickly as their parents," LoBue explained. "If there is an evolved tendency in humans for the rapid detection of snakes, it should appear in young children as well as their elders."
Preschool children and their parents were shown nine color photographs on a computer screen and were asked to find either the single snake among eight flowers, frogs or caterpillars, or the single nonthreatening item among eight snakes. As the study surprisingly shows, parents and their children identified snakes more rapidly than they detected the other stimuli, despite the gap in age and experience.
The results, which appear in the March 2008 issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, may provide the first evidence of an adapted, visually-stimulated fear mechanism in humans.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by the Association for Psychological Science
Comments:
| 1. |
The Baldchemist |
3/13/2008 7:37:57 PM MST |
The fear of snakes may well be prevelant in the USA where the majority of the population came from Europe where snakes are not so prevelant.
Here in Thailand I see snakes on a daily basis. Kids and those that have lived with them for thousands of years have a healthy respect but no fear. Haven't been subjected to Biblical fables!
The truth is snakes want nothing to do with humans; they shy away as soon as they sense your presense.
Its only when threatened, that snakes bite humans. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. Look but don't touch.
I believe you should revise your research premise.
The Baldchemist
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| 2. |
You missed the point |
6/21/2008 5:26:43 PM MST |
What the article says is that humans can detect possible threats at early ages. Just because snakes aren't a constant threat doesn't mean that they can't be dangerous. This 'possible' threat recognition was what was being tested. The fact that you drew parallels between a common American religion and this has nothing to do with the article. Furthermore doesn't say that snakes are incredibly dangerous which makes your advice giving mildly out of place. |
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