My mother accidentally brought home a 3 foot long python when it crawled into the engine of her car at work. Python aren't usually found in the wild, so we kept it for a few weeks until we found a home for it. At first I hated it, just towards the end of its stay I begged my parents to let me keep it.
I actually developed my LOVE of snakes when I was a toddler. I got to stroke one at a local fair and I've always wanted a pet one since.
Sadly, both my sister and mum are afraid of most reptiles. And they haven't even HAD bad first hand experiences with snakes. All the bad experiences have been caused by their fears. One time my sister even stroked a python with no problems. But one day she simply suddenly developed a chronic phobia.
i think that the reason why these little kids who may or may not have seen cartoon snakes can tell the difference between snakes and other things because although they may not know what the snake is, they know what most of the other things are so they can guess that the other thing is a snake
The key point may be that though that child knows cartoon snakes and flowers and caterpillars, she could find a snake faster than other critters or objects. There is no reason to think that the kid had special knowledge of snakes, and I think the experiment still works if she has seen snakes in passing.
I've actually heard of other studies on the inborn fear of snakes, but this one doesn't seem very sound. And another thing - I somehow doubt that the little girl in the video has never seen a snake before (thus totally throwing off the idea of controlled variables....)
yup thats true. The only way you could do this test if you found someone who had NEVER seen or heard of a snake. Most toddlers watch tv, and alot of cartoons etc(dora the explorer and so on) have snakes.
This study is flawed in so many ways. I dont think its false but the study itself isnt in a controlled environment with controlled variables, so it shouldnt be held as 'fact' and probably never will.
Well, you two must realize that they are scientists and this is a scientific show. So by rights they would have thought of, and considered this. Not to be insulting, but I doubt an average Joe like you or I could think of something in a minute that would be a focal point for focus for the research.
That's why you won't get the same response from someone that was raised around snakes. One's memory is conditioned to interpret snakes as a danger while another's interprets no danger at all.
When we deal with anything that isn't in our daily lives, we tend to create definitions & imagery (for those things) in a area of the brain that doesn't handle reasoning & logic.
So she has a fear of snakes and found out that people acknowledge snakes faster. Therefore, her fear of snakes is/could be inborn? She needs to go back to study a bit of logic.
My mother accidentally brought home a 3 foot long python when it crawled into the engine of her car at work. Python aren't usually found in the wild, so we kept it for a few weeks until we found a home for it. At first I hated it, just towards the end of its stay I begged my parents to let me keep it.
SaintRussell1914 2 years ago
I actually developed my LOVE of snakes when I was a toddler. I got to stroke one at a local fair and I've always wanted a pet one since.
Sadly, both my sister and mum are afraid of most reptiles. And they haven't even HAD bad first hand experiences with snakes. All the bad experiences have been caused by their fears. One time my sister even stroked a python with no problems. But one day she simply suddenly developed a chronic phobia.
Faliat 3 years ago
i think that the reason why these little kids who may or may not have seen cartoon snakes can tell the difference between snakes and other things because although they may not know what the snake is, they know what most of the other things are so they can guess that the other thing is a snake
princessumy 3 years ago
The key point may be that though that child knows cartoon snakes and flowers and caterpillars, she could find a snake faster than other critters or objects. There is no reason to think that the kid had special knowledge of snakes, and I think the experiment still works if she has seen snakes in passing.
MediaMama111 4 years ago
I've always hated snakes and spiders.
rusty229229 4 years ago
I've actually heard of other studies on the inborn fear of snakes, but this one doesn't seem very sound. And another thing - I somehow doubt that the little girl in the video has never seen a snake before (thus totally throwing off the idea of controlled variables....)
knnyphph 4 years ago
yup thats true. The only way you could do this test if you found someone who had NEVER seen or heard of a snake. Most toddlers watch tv, and alot of cartoons etc(dora the explorer and so on) have snakes.
This study is flawed in so many ways. I dont think its false but the study itself isnt in a controlled environment with controlled variables, so it shouldnt be held as 'fact' and probably never will.
jessejax 4 years ago
Actually, they did the same test on monkeys (I think it was rhesus) born in the lab and discovered similar results.
hippocampuszosterae 3 years ago
Well, you two must realize that they are scientists and this is a scientific show. So by rights they would have thought of, and considered this. Not to be insulting, but I doubt an average Joe like you or I could think of something in a minute that would be a focal point for focus for the research.
keypaw 3 years ago
Phobias are created, NOT inherited.
That's why you won't get the same response from someone that was raised around snakes. One's memory is conditioned to interpret snakes as a danger while another's interprets no danger at all.
When we deal with anything that isn't in our daily lives, we tend to create definitions & imagery (for those things) in a area of the brain that doesn't handle reasoning & logic.
j0eg0d 4 years ago
Hence the reason it's called a theory.
Xycondetsu 4 years ago
really?
MATHYTV 4 years ago
So she has a fear of snakes and found out that people acknowledge snakes faster. Therefore, her fear of snakes is/could be inborn? She needs to go back to study a bit of logic.
TheBlindWatchmaker 4 years ago
Ummm....Yea?!?
swisherman84 4 years ago