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Introduction

Hello! We are Jenny Powers and Niya Fowler, and we both have been interested in the physiology of spider fear for quite some time now and decided to branch that curiosity into a research project. Most importantly what sparked this interest was our past experiences with spiders.

“I remember when I was little, and I saw a black widow in the corner of the garage in my Aunt’s house. As I told my Aunt what I saw, she quickly followed me and started screaming at the top of her lungs. This reaction almost scared me more than the initial reaction of me noticing the arachnid in the first place. It is possible to say that this interaction I had with my aunt when I was little, sparked the fear I have with spiders today.” – Jenny Powers

As a child I was surrounded by family members that shed a positive light on arachnids.  I can not recall a time where I had considered spiders to be scary or dangerous. In fact the organisms intrigue me. During my adolescent years up to the present day, my instinct was and is not to scream or kill the creature, but to instead scoop it up into a cup and carefully release it outside. I am curious to know why some individuals tend to be affected by arachnophobia while others are not.” -Niya Fowler 

American Black Widow

What we have both noticed throughout childhood and even leading into our adult lives is the frequent encounters people have with spiders. Often noticing that people have either severe or indifferent responses to them. Through personal experiences and observing from others, we have learned that most individuals fall victim to some level of spider phobia.

These arachnids are a major cause of an unshakable feeling of anxiety and fear. Those who are triggered by them may experience panic attacks, fainting, vomiting , avoidance of certain areas assumed to be preoccupied by a arachnid, sweating, etc. The main topic of this study is to get to the root of the problem, understanding how arachnophobia develops, and what factors or stimuli affect how an individual reacts to a spider.

Often a person’s primitive instinct when they see a spider is to either to scream and tremble in terror or carry the organism outside in a cup. The reason of this study is to discover what causes the different reactions to the minuscule insects. To find answers to questions such as: Are different emotions in this phobia influenced by people close? Why have spiders evolved into a creature that so many people find frightening? Is this view influenced from children’s media?

As we look into various external factors and how these factors affect an individual’s perspective and perception of spiders, we are able to make connections to literacy.  The core of our study is seeking to understand the physiological aspect of the arachnophobia and how that might be linked through the literacy of social interaction and knowledge.

 

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