Are humans hard wired to fear snakes?

Question

I just read that University of Virgina is doing a study that suggests humans are hard wired to fear snakes. First of all I read this theory many years ago in a Carl Sagan book or something like that so I don't know why U.V. is thinking this is some new discovery. Do you think you were hard wired to be afraid of snakes? I feared them from childhood but my daughter never did and was always attracted to them since childhood which always amazed me. Is she just an exception to the rule and we are hard wired to fear snakes?

Answer 1

I'm not afraid of snakes....

I'm afraid of spiders though. :D

Answer 2

I think it would be more accurate to say that humans are predisposed to acquire certain fears, e.g. snakes, more readily than others. Experiments have shown that monkeys readily learn to fear snakes after watching another monkey react with fear to a snake, but will not acquire a fear of flowers even after watching a monkey react with fear to a flower. However, people do not automatically fear snakes without some experience to trigger development of the fear. Psychologists call the readiness to acquire fears 'prepared learning' (or something like that).

Answer 3

I've always loved snakes - they fascinate me!

But I've known many people that have an unusual fear of them.  

Can't imagine that we are "hard wired" to fear them - then everyone would be scared of them.  Need more proof to convince me!

Answer 4

As far as I was aware, the 2 fears we are born with are 1. a fear of loud noises, and 2. a fear of loud noises.  I have a feeling we learn a lot of the other fears e.g of snakes, spiders, etc from experience (of ours and of other people close to us)

Answer 5

i love snakes i would never be afraid of them, even the deadly ones its man i fear the most... no anti venom there!

most people are fearful of them though :(

Answer 6

It could be!

I think that they're something that when we pick up in our peripheral vision, slithering in the grass, it takes us by surprise, and the warning says, "DANGER!"

That's even before we know what variety they are!

Answer 7

Actually the theory is not so far fetched..... why do people have phobias against snakes, spiders, or sharks? Because they are dangerous, and I believe it is a primal instinct to avoid things that may harm you. years of evolution and observation lead humans to be more cautious.... but sometimes we overcompensate.

Answer 8

I was never afraid of them.  Then again, I'm not normal....

Answer 9

I have thought about this myself to some degree. I can't say that they indeed are pre-programmed for fear of snakes. But the fear many people have is unfounded. That is, no previous exposure, negative or otherwise, to justify the fear. They are just afraid of snakes, and there's no explanation. So I am inclined to agree that it is in the genes. Good question.

Answer 10

Plenty of studies show that children have no fear of snakes till parent or other adults teach them fear. My older brother is terrified of them,my father introduced him to snakes. I discovered them alone and have no fear of the snake dudes.

Answer 11

I don't believe so at all.  If you weren't told they could bite you, I don't think there would be any fear of them.  Look at how many people aren't afraid of them.  I think, more than anything, we are afraid because we don't know enough about them.  Some people see a snake, ANY snake, and they freak b/c they don't know what kind it is or if it is poisonous or not.  I have a healthy fear of a rattlesnake or a moccasin, but non whatsoever of a rat snake, a green snake, a black pine snake or a king snake because I know they are harmless.

Answer 12

Maybe we have genes in our brains that are ment to make us scared of them and people who arn't have a defective gene or something.