Women more affraid of spiders than men because of there genes..

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Womens-Spider-Fear-Is-Genetic-Girls-Born-To-Be-Scared-US-Psychologist-Dr-David-Rakison-Finds/Article/200909115374000

So according to this study Girls are more affraid of spiders than boys, and it is in there genes..

"Research at a US university found females associate the eight-legged critters with fear more than males, most of whom react with indifference.

Psychologist Dr David Rakison from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University tested 10 girls and 10 boys, all aged 11-months, with pictures of spiders to see how they reacted.

He showed them images of a spider next to a fearful cartoon face and a spider next to a happy face.

Dr Rakison's report, published in the New Scientist, states that the girls looked at the picture containing a happy face for longer than the scared one.

However, the boys looked at both images for an equal amount of time.

He concluded that the girls found the happy face puzzling as they were expecting to see the spider paired with a frightened face.

The psychologist said these tests show that girls have a genetic predispostion to fear the arachnids in contrast with boys who do not."

What do you say about this? my house shows the complete opposite :P My brother, myself and dad are terrified of spiders. Mum and 2 sisters however aren't bothered by them. We often have to call them to get spiders out of the way.

EDIT: Might aswell make a wee poll :P

Well, it sounds like the doctor found conclusive proof...

Sample size is too small!:x

Does that mean I'm a girl?

Does that mean I'm a girl?

howlrunner13

Does that mean I'm a girl?

i don't like to have spider on me but i know they ain't bothering me i just hate to have them at moment id not expect like when i sleep ? i wake up a spider around the wall. first reaction. kill it :) since there no venomenous spider around here i fear not the kind i have here i'm more paranoiac of mosquito i see one inside my house and il hunt it for half a hour until it DEAD

How ever I must say Womenl that i know and that my friend know are more Afraid of all kind of bug then we do beside they are subjec to be less affraid of bee but that be stereotypical unless a Science proof that vast majority ofwomen are afraid of such but i speak from from what i know of women i know they are likely to panic if any of those spider get on them and will smash it :P : but il panic if a wasp start to be walking on my skin and flying at 2cm of me. i hate them

I dont think that has to do with spiders alone.

Such studiesrelating genes to something so specific like archnophobia seem too simplistic.

Anyway I wont argue because I have been accused of arguing science when I have no clue on it. :roll:

I freak out when I see spiders. Especially when they're on the move. They can run FAST.

Does that mean I'm a girl?

[QUOTE="howlrunner13"]

Does that mean I'm a girl?

Big_Bad_Sad

But then again ......hmmm....

anyway you should not be afraid of spider there harmless id be more affraid of wasp / bumblebee i swear those insect sting you for no god damn reason sometime while maybe if i was in tropical jungle or mexico id be extremely paranoiac of every little kind of bug with all the virus / bite and venomus bug it a WAR !marcthpro

I am a girl. :o

How does that prove anything? There were spiders in both images. :?

The conclusion I could draw from this research is that girls like happy faces more than scared faces.

In my school this is this apparently true like once we were in the library learning language and this spider came right in and about 5 girls strated screaming and 2 boys but most boys were watching it and saying cool, unfortunately a stupid idiot killed it and all it wanted was a nice fly to eat.

How does that prove anything? There were spiders in both images. :?

The conclusion I could draw from this research is that girls like happy faces more than scared faces.

Gamer4Iife

I am a girl. :o

samuraiguns

I like tarantulas because they are cute and fuzzy (and usually very calm). But when spiders are like this:

I **** my pants. :|

Sample size is too small!:x

uhoh_hotdogs

Too small a sample size to make that conclusion. Plus, that doesn't make it genetic even were it true. Probably more government grant money wasted. I've seen some girls pick up spiders and some dudes freak out.:lol:

20 kids is a sample group?

Even after a single college psychology course, I can tell that's a huge conclusion to jump to.

His analysis also seems a little too Freudian for me to take seriously.

Sample size is too small!:x

uhoh_hotdogs

I guess that kind of quality thoroughness is why people pay the big bucks to go to schools like CMU...

I actually don't mind a couple spiders. For the most part I think the average spider does more good than harm, getting rid of lots of other insects that find their way into your home.

This

What is this

None of those apply to me, i have guy mates that are scared of spiders and i have girl mates that are scared of them. However i like spiders.

Its got nothing to do with genes, it a behaviour that is learnt.

well in my experience females are alot more afraid than males.weezyfb

Spiders don't frighten me. Everyone else I know seems to dislike them.