by Laura Fernandez.
Jennifer Chan is a PhD student in the University of Toronto’s Department of Psychology. She specializes in the study of stress and its impacts on people who work in high risk occupations. In the run up to Halloween, Jen enchanted us with her knowledge of fear and why humans tend to shy away from certain things in a special RCIScience presentation exploring the Science of Scary.
What is fear?
Fear is a natural and primitive emotion, involving a biochemical response and varying emotional and behavioural responses. Fear alerts us to the presence of danger or threat of harm, whether that danger is physical or psychological, and often elicits a behavioural response. We know this commonly as the fight or flight response.
Common fears
Many common fears are rooted in our evolution and relate to stimuli that have historically been dangerous to us. Being afraid of the dark relates to not being able to see very well and tell if there’s something nearby that can harm us. Similarly, a lot of animal-based fears, such as of spiders or snakes, are tied to us not being able to ascertain if they are venomous or lethal.
Humans experience fear from a young age. Experiments in developmental psychology have shown that a fear of heights is even evident in babies! When babies were placed on a glass surface near a false cliff where they could see the hollow bottom, they avoided the edge, no matter how hard their parents called them over. They hesitate, perceiving the change in depth as something that can harm them.
Clowns are commonly perceived as creepy. As babies we can identify face-like shapes (to about the same level of detail as an electrical outlet!), and prefer them over other shapes. By adolescence, we are great at identifying emotions expressed on faces, eg. happiness, anger or sadness. When a person is wearing a mask or face paint, their facial expressions are marred, leaving us feeling uneasy as we aren’t sure whether or not they pose a threat to us.
Conquering our fear
YouTube sensation Lucas the Spider might just hold the key to helping you get over your arachnophobia!
When it comes to overcoming our fears, Jen suggests gradual exposure therapy may be key. Say you’re afraid of spiders. Watching videos of Lucas the Spider - a cute animated spider character - might be a good starting point. Build up to watching videos of interesting spider behaviours in the wild, like these peacock spiders. Over time, your reaction to arachnids should gradually normalize as their perceived threat diminishes.
If we’re so fearful, why are humans drawn to watching horror movies?
“We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.”
- Stephen King
When we’re watching a horror movie, we’re usually at home, a place we perceive as safe and comfortable. We can lock the doors and tuck in to some popcorn and other Halloween treats! While we feel safe and happy, we also enjoy a tiny bit of risk. Imagine you’re watching a scene where someone is being chased through the woods. This thrill releases adrenaline, an active component of the fight-or-flight response that is released during stressful or dangerous situations. Since you know that nothing will jump out at you through the screen, serotonin is subsequently released, relaxing you and letting you know that you are safe at home where nothing can hurt you. If the character successfully conquers the woods, a quick dopamine release follows as a reward. These biochemical releases are what bring about thrill-seeking behaviours, like bungee jumping or riding roller coasters.
With Halloween right around the corner, check out Jen’s full presentation and impress your family and friends with your knowledge of fear. And the next time you receive a fright, take a moment to register what you’re feeling and be comforted in knowing it’s a perfectly natural reaction.