Are vipers prototypic fear-evoking snakes? A cross-cultural comparison of Somalis and Czechs.
cross-cultural comparison
evolutionary psychology
fear
ophidiophobia
specific phobias
Journal
Frontiers in psychology
ISSN: 1664-1078
Titre abrégé: Front Psychol
Pays: Switzerland
ID NLM: 101550902
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2023
2023
Historique:
received:
28
06
2023
accepted:
08
09
2023
medline:
6
11
2023
pubmed:
6
11
2023
entrez:
6
11
2023
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Snakes are known as highly fear-evoking animals, eliciting preferential attention and fast detection in humans. We examined the human fear response to snakes in the context of both current and evolutionary experiences, conducting our research in the cradle of humankind, the Horn of Africa. This region is characterized by the frequent occurrence of various snake species, including deadly venomous viperids (adders) and elapids (cobras and mambas). We conducted experiments in Somaliland and compared the results with data from Czech respondents to address the still unresolved questions: To which extent is human fear of snakes affected by evolutionary or current experience and local culture? Can people of both nationalities recognize venomous snakes as a category, or are they only afraid of certain species that are most dangerous in a given area? Are respondents of both nationalities equally afraid of deadly snakes from both families (Viperidae, Elapidae)? We employed a well-established picture-sorting approach, consisting of 48 snake species belonging to four distinct groups. Our results revealed significant agreement among Somali as well as Czech respondents. We found a highly significant effect of the stimulus on perceived fear in both populations. Vipers appeared to be the most salient stimuli in both populations, as they occupied the highest positions according to the reported level of subjectively perceived fear. The position of vipers strongly contrasts with the fear ranking of deadly venomous elapids, which were in lower positions. Fear scores of vipers were significantly higher in both populations, and their best predictor was the body width of the snake. The evolutionary, cultural, and cognitive aspects of this phenomenon are discussed.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37928591
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1233667
pmc: PMC10620321
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
1233667Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 Frynta, Elmi, Janovcová, Rudolfová, Štolhoferová, Rexová, Král, Sommer, Berti, Landová and Frýdlová.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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