Facts about arachnophobia Bashny.Net

About fifty percent of women and eighteen percent of men suffer from arachnophobia

In severe cases, people are so afraid arachnophobia spiders, they can not even see them in the pictures.

Fear of spiders - a frequent phobia, moreover, it is irrational, because we have a much better chance to kill a spider spider than a spider - hurt us.

Let us turn to several psychological studies to understand why so many people are afraid of insects.



1. The old enemy?


Perhaps it is no coincidence that so many people are afraid of spiders.

One popular theory says that at the very beginning of human evolution spiders really represent a serious threat for the people, because of this, and we developed such a reaction.

This theory is based on the reaction of young children around the age of three years. If you show them two pictures, one with a spider, the other with a cockroach, the spiderman cause they have more negative emotions. This is surprising, because the cockroaches are the same unpleasant.

Not everyone agrees with this theory, some argue that there is a fear of spiders from my childhood and it's still acquired fear. However, there is in it a component of the innate: we are very, very early start to be afraid of spiders.

2. thanked A huge spider!


"Oh my God, we have a huge spider in the bathroom!»

However, the other it does not seem so great.

Arachnophobia spider seems much larger than it actually is.

In one study, Arachnophobia asked to look at the different sizes of tarantulas and then estimate their size. And the more people afraid of a spider, the more he exaggerated its size.

Naturally, such a distortion is unlikely to help overcome the phobia.

3. Spiders approaching!


Similarly, if you see arachnophobia crawling spiders, it seems that the insects are much closer than it actually is.

In one study, participants showed video spiders crawling to them. People need to be assessed at what point the insects are very close. The greater was their fear of spiders, the shorter the distance between them seemed and insects.

Co-author of this experiment, he explains: "The more a man of fear, such as spiders, the more they tend to reduce the real distance between himself and the approaching spider. This has some merit if the approaching object is dangerous, it is better to have time to jump on the floor of a second earlier than half a second too late ».

Although, unlike, for example, a bull, a spider can hardly throw at you.

4. Paukova therapy


From arachnophobia can be removed fairly quickly.

Six months after a single course of therapy, the twelve people who are terribly afraid of spiders could even hold a tarantula in his hands.

Such therapy itself slowly prepares you for meeting with a tarantula, a few changing your attitude to spiders.

Doctor Katherine Hoyner explains: "People think that the tarantula is able to jump out of the cells directly to them. Some people think that tarantulas are plotting something evil. I'll show them what a tarantula - small and weak and more cares about how to hide himself from the people ».

5. Home Treatment


Three simple tips for those who want to get rid of their own arachnophobia:

 - Refer to someone who is not afraid of spiders and freely interact with them. It is proved that looking at a person free to contact with the spider, you can get rid of fear itself.

 - Try to get closer to the spider, is what psychologists call "exposure therapy».

 - Loud describe your feelings. Speak your fears, it will help to dispel them.

By the way, the prevalence ahronofobii:

Some studies suggest that only 3-7% of people suffer from this disease, while others argue that it is almost 50% of women and 18% men. The results are likely to depend on who you are reckoned to ahronofobam: Only people who are terribly afraid of spiders or someone who just thinks they are very unpleasant.

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