Results tagged “fear” from 60 Second Science

It’s a long-held assumption that humans harbor an innate fear of snakes and spiders as an evolutionary defense mechanism against the threats such creepy crawlies may pose. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that we possess an uncanny natural capacity to preferentially attend to—i.e. identify—bite-happy beasties so as to give them the wide berths we presume they warrant.

However, researchers at the University of Queensland posit that just because we notice potential dangers, doesn’t necessarily mean we fear them. Quoth Dr. Helena Purkis:

“We showed that although everyone preferentially attends to snakes or spiders in the environment as they are potentially dangerous, only inexperienced participants display a negative response.

“If we understand the relationship between preferential attention and emotion it will help us understand how a stimulus goes from being perceived as potentially dangerous, to eliciting an emotional response and to being associated with phobia."

Continue reading ''It is better to be feared than loved' - snakes, spiders, etc' >

Today's 60 Second Psych Podcast is brought to you by five-year-old Operation Iraqi Freedom:

Fear Raises Self-Esteem in Iraqi Teens

Full transcript after the jump...

Continue reading 'Fear Raises Self-Esteem in Iraqi Teens [podcast]' >

Mice aren't afraid of cats because they're bigger, have sharper teeth, and are natural predators. While that would be reasonable, the real factor is a genetic hardwiring to be terrified at the scent of cats. Japanese scientists, in yet another effort to create super-creatures that will doom us all, have changed that. "Mice are naturally terrified of cats, and usually panic or flee at the smell of one. But mice with certain nasal cells removed through genetic engineering didn't display any fear," said Ko Kobayakawa who leads a research team at Tokyo University.

My cat just had the last bath he's ever getting.

Continue reading 'Scientists create very, very brave mice' >

Today's 60 Second Psych Podcast is brought to you by that dusty Bowflex you never use:

Fear Gets Us to the Gym

Full transcript after the jump...

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It seems like most technological innovations are met with optimism from the scientific community and trepidation from the public. Science said, "Let's work with nuclear power!" The public said, "I'm still a little worried about this whole 'igniting the atmosphere' thing." Not so with nanotechnology. In a new report surveying American households and a sampling of 363 leading U.S. nanotechnology scientists and engineers, scientists are consistently more worried about the unknown effects of nanotech than the public.

Continue reading 'Scientists worry about health effects of nanotechnology while public shrugs' >

Wolf Spider cc Alan Moore

For most of us, scared to death is just a piddly phrase. But for small, inferior wolf spiders, being scared to death means dying. As in dead.

Big wolf spiders eat littler ones. Now it turns out even the thought of bullies can drive the poor guys to starvation, weight loss, and ultimately, death.

Continue reading 'Big spiders kill little spiders with fear' >

Kids knocking on David Zald's door tonight looking for a treat are in for a trick. Zald, a psychology professor at Vanderbilt University, decorates his house with skeletons and creepy fog. As children walk through his haunted house, Zald can see fear in their faces.

"They want the candy, but they're not sure they want to come up," Zald said.

Who would blame them? Especially when he's dressed in white polyester as Disco Stu from the "The Simpsons."

Continue reading 'Psych professor turns haunted house into a lab' >