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BMC Psychiatry

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Open Access 01-12-2021 | Separation Anxiety Disorder | Research

Fear inoculation among snake experts

Authors: Carlos M. Coelho, Jakub Polák, Panrapee Suttiwan, Andras N. Zsido

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2021

Abstract

Background

Fear acquisition of certain stimuli, such as snakes, is thought to be rapid, resistant to extinction, and easily transferable onto other similar objects. It has been hypothesized that due to increased survival chances, preparedness to instantly acquire fear towards evolutionary threats has been hardwired into neural pathways of the primate brain. Here, we compare participants’ fear of snakes according to experience; from those who often deal with snakes and even suffer snakebites to those unfamiliar with snakes.

Methods

The Snake Questionnaire-12 (SNAQ-12) and Specific Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ) were administered to three groups of participants with a different level of experience with snakes and snakebites: 1) snake experts, 2) firefighters, and 3) college students.

Results

This study shows that individuals more experienced with snakes demonstrate lower fear. Moreover, participants who have suffered a snakebite (either venomous or not) score lower on fear of snakes (SNAQ-12), but not of all other potentially phobic stimuli (SPQ).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that a harmless benign exposure might immunize people to highly biologically prepared fears of evolutionary threats, such as snakes.

A further analysis with being bitten or not as a grouping variable, experience as a covariant and SNAQ12 as the dependent variable revealed that people bitten by a snake scored lower than those who have never been bitten (F (1,105) = 6.53,p = 0.012, ɳ²_p = 0.06) while experience did not have a significant effect (F (1,105) = 1.30,p = 0.257).

In a separate analysis we also checked if there was an interaction between the grouping and covariant variable, but the effect was nonsignificant (F (1,104) = 0.91,p = 0.341).

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Title: Fear inoculation among snake experts
Authors: Carlos M. Coelho
Jakub Polák
Panrapee Suttiwan
Andras N. Zsido
Publication date: 01-12-2021
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Separation Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety
Published in: BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03553-z

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Fear inoculation among snake experts

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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