Venomous snakes elicit stronger fear than nonvenomous ones: Psychophysiological response to snake images
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00023752%3A_____%2F20%3A43920295" target="_blank" >RIV/00023752:_____/20:43920295 - isvavai.cz</a>
Alternative codes found
RIV/00216208:11210/20:10414497 RIV/00216208:11310/20:10414497
Result on the web
<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0236999" target="_blank" >https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0236999</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236999" target="_blank" >10.1371/journal.pone.0236999</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Venomous snakes elicit stronger fear than nonvenomous ones: Psychophysiological response to snake images
Original language description
Snakes have been important ambush predators of both primates and human hunter-gatherers throughout their co-evolutionary history. Viperid snakes in particular are responsible for most fatal venomous snakebites worldwide and thus represent a strong selective pressure. They elicit intense fear in humans and are easily recognizable thanks to their distinctive morphotype. In this study, we measured skin resistance (SR) and heart rate (HR) in human subjects exposed to snake pictures eliciting either high fear (10 venomous viperid species) or disgust (10 nonvenomous fossorial species). Venomous snakes subjectively evaluated as frightening trigger a stronger physiological response (higher SR amplitude) than repulsive non-venomous snakes. However, stimuli presented in a block (more intense stimulation) do not trigger a stronger emotional response compared to sequentially presented stimuli (less intense stimulation). There are significant interindividual differences as subjects with high fear of snakes confronted with images of viperid snakes show stronger, longer-lasting, and more frequent changes in SR and higher HR compared to low-fear subjects. Thus, we show that humans demonstrate a remarkable ability to discriminate between dangerous viperids and harmless fossorial snakes, which is also reflected in distinct autonomous body responses.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
50101 - Psychology (including human - machine relations)
Result continuities
Project
Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2020
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
PLoS One
ISSN
1932-6203
e-ISSN
—
Volume of the periodical
15
Issue of the periodical within the volume
8
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
31
Pages from-to
"e0236999"
UT code for WoS article
000563929200031
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85089714473