Itsy bitsy spider…: Infants react with increased arousal to spiders and snakes
- Author(s)
- Stefanie Hoehl, Kahl Hellmer, Maria Johansson, Gustaf Gredebäck
- Abstract
Attention biases have been reported for ancestral threats like spiders and snakes in infants, children, and adults. However, it is currently unclear whether these stimuli induce increased physiological arousal in infants. Here, 6-month-old infants were presented with pictures of spiders and flowers (Study 1, within-subjects), or snakes and fish (Study 1, within-subjects; Study 2, between-subjects). Infants' pupillary responses linked to activation of the noradrenergic system were measured. Infants reacted with increased pupillary dilation indicating arousal to spiders and snakes compared with flowers and fish. Results support the notion of an evolved preparedness for developing fear of these ancestral threats.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology
- External organisation(s)
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Uppsala University
- Journal
- Frontiers in Psychology
- Volume
- 8
- No. of pages
- 8
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01710
- Publication date
- 10-2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 501005 Developmental psychology
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Psychology
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/87f5ca09-fe45-4182-8119-b950d0dd8610