Emotions triggered by live arthropods shed light on spider phobia

Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00023752%3A_____%2F21%3A43920741" target="_blank" >RIV/00023752:_____/21:43920741 - isvavai.cz</a>
Alternative codes found
RIV/00216208:11310/21:10435190
Result on the web
<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01325-z" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01325-z</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01325-z" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41598-021-01325-z</a>

Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Emotions triggered by live arthropods shed light on spider phobia
Original language description
Spiders are mostly harmless, yet they often trigger high levels of both fear and disgust, and arachnophobia (the phobia of spiders) ranks among the most common specific animal phobias. To investigate this apparent paradox, we turned to the only close relatives of spiders that pose a real danger to humans: scorpions. We adopted a unique methodology in order to assess authentic emotions elicited by arthropods. Over 300 respondents were asked to rate live specimens of 62 arthropod species (including spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, and other insects) based on perceived fear, disgust, and beauty. We found that species’ scores on all three scales depended on the higher taxon as well as on body size. Spiders, scorpions, and other arachnids scored the highest in fear and disgust, while beetles and crabs scored the highest in beauty. Moreover, all chelicerates were perceived as one cohesive group, distinct from other arthropods, such as insects or crabs. Based on these results, we hypothesize that the fear of spiders might be triggered by a generalized fear of chelicerates, with scorpions being the original stimulus that signals dang.
Czech name
—
Czech description
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Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
—
OECD FORD branch
50103 - Cognitive sciences

Project
<a href="/en/project/GA19-07164S" target="_blank" >GA19-07164S: Aversive response to spiders and the underlying emotions</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year
2021
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

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