Feeling connected to nature linked to lower risk of snake and spider
phobias

Date:
February 24, 2022
Source:
British Ecological Society
Summary:
A study of over a thousand people in Hungary has found for the
first time that people who feel more connected to nature are less
likely to be affected by snake and spider fears or phobias.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A study of over a thousand people in Hungary has found for the first
time that people who feel more connected to nature are less likely to be affected by snake and spider fears or phobias. The research is published
in British Ecological Society journal, People and Nature.


==========================================================================
In the study, researchers from universities in Hungary, Czech Republic
and Portugal used clinically established questionnaires to assess
participants' fear of snakes and spiders and their connectedness to
nature. They found that people who scored highly in their self-perceived connection to nature - - particularly a longing to be close to nature
and engagement to protect it - - were less likely to score highly in
measures of snake and spider fear.

The researchers say that because of this association, a connection to
nature could potentially be a protective factor against snake and spider phobias, two of the most prevalent animal phobias.

Dr Jakub Pola'k at Charles University, Czech Republic, and co-author
of the study said: "Analysis of our data showed one clear picture: the
more you like nature and feel a part of it, the less you are at risk
of developing a snake or spider phobia, an anxiety disorders which can significantly lower your quality of life." Dr Coelho at the University of Porto, Portugal, and co-author of the study, stressed that the association found in this study can go both ways: "A connection to nature may cause
people to experience less fear of snakes and spiders. However, it is
also possible that people with lower fear of snakes and spiders are consequently more interested in nature and feel a stronger connection with
the natural environment." The researchers also collected demographic data
from the participants and found older age and living in less urbanised environments were also associated with reduced fear of snakes and spiders.



==========================================================================
The study findings add to the growing evidence of the positive effects
from spending time in nature and feeling connected to it, such as improved health, enhanced mood, and reduced stress.

Dr Andra's Norbert Zsido, at the University of Pe'cs, Hungary, and
co-author of the study said: "Connectedness to nature, can have a wide
range of positive effects. In our study we find that it may prevent
the development of animal phobias or could facilitate coping with such
fear if they already exist. It's also been shown that being connected
to nature carries health benefits and can result in more knowledge and a
more positive attitude towards animals, along with greater environmental responsibility." Fear of snakes and spiders are thought to stem from
threats in our evolutionary history. While these fears can protect us,
having a phobia -- an extreme or irrational fear -- can cause significant distress and interfere with a person's day-to-day life as they try to
avoid all confrontation with the phobic stimulus.

In the study the researchers assessed participants' connection to nature
using the Nature Relatedness Scale. This questionnaire asks participants
to agree or disagree with statements covering attitudes to conservation, feelings of belonging to nature and ease of being outdoors in the
wilderness. Higher scores indicate a stronger connection with nature.

To assess participant's fear of snakes and spiders, the researchers
used established questionnaires that are used in clinical screenings
for phobias.

Participants answered questions on fainting or avoidance in reaction to
snakes and spiders and were then shown images of the animals and asked
to rate them along three scales: whether they perceived the images to
be unpleasant or pleasant, whether the images made them feel calm or
excited, and whether they felt dominance or dominated by the animals in
the pictures.

Because the study was correlational and didn't collect longitudinal
data, the researchers were not able to determine the direction of
the relationship between connection to nature and animal fears. Dr
Zsido explained: "This was a cross-sectional study, so we were not
able to measure possible effects of nature relatedness on fears over
time. Whether pro-environmental education and increased time spent in
natural environments could reliably decrease fears is still an open
question." The researchers are now hoping to explore whether their
findings would be the same for other animal phobias or apply to other
cultures around the world.

Dr Pola'k said: "I would like to see if the same association between connectedness to nature and animal fears would be found in other
countries with a different culture, different levels of urbanisation, and potentially different attitudes towards animals. We suppose that fear of
snakes and spiders is universal all over the world, but is the protective
role of nature connectedness universal as well? That would be worth
future research." Understanding what causes animal phobias to persist
also interests the researchers. Dr Coelho added: "I would like to know
why some people never seem to leave behind their fears, even if they have
a lot of experience with the object that evokes the feeling. Is this due
to the nature of the stimuli itself, or maybe to individual differences?" special promotion Explore the latest scientific research on sleep and
dreams in this free online course from New Scientist -- Sign_up_now_>>> ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by British_Ecological_Society. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Andras N. Zsido, Carlos M. Coelho, Jakub Pola'k. Nature relatedness:
A
protective factor for snake and spider fears and phobias. People
and Nature, 2022; DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10303 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220224091051.htm

--- up 11 weeks, 5 days, 7 hours, 13 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)