SOUL + BODY: Is Fear of Snakes in Our DNA?

Snake lover Vanessa LoBue, Ph.D., knows from common sense as well as a vast body of research that humans and other animals have a predisposition to quickly associate snakes with fear. But, she wondered, regardless of our feelings or experiences with snakes, do we have a predisposition to detect them particularly quickly, signaling “prepared learning” or knowledge programmed into our DNA? To find out, she and her partner, Judy S. DeLoache, Ph.D., conducted a University of Virginia study titled “Detecting the Snake in the Grass: Attention to Fear-Relevant Stimuli by Adults and Young Children.”
In a series of three experiments, 120 three- to five-year-olds and 120 parents consistently quickly picked out the target picture of a “threat-relevant” snake from a group of nine pictures, eight of which were “non-threat-relevant” flowers, frogs, and caterpillars; and they did so significantly more rapidly than they could pick out non-threatening target pictures among similar groups.
Prior to the experiments, study participant parents were interviewed about their own and their children’s real-life experience or fears of snakes, and statistics later showed that the existence or nonexistence of fear or real-life experience had no bearing on recognition speed.
So the ability to quickly pick out snakes is hardwired, but what’s interesting is what the researchers are not saying. Says LoBue, “I am not saying that humans have an innate or hardwired fear of snakes, but instead, that we may be predisposed to learn to fear snakes particularly fast because of the survival benefit such learning posed.” Cross-culturally, the snake or serpent is one of our most widespread and important mythological symbols, signifying everything from consort of the Goddess, power, sexuality, Divine knowledge, healing, and rebirth to deceitfulness, cunning, vengefulness, evil, and deadliness. Says LoBue, “I do think that the rich cultural meaning of snakes comes from this evolutionary root. Of course, there is no way to prove this.”
With or without proof, it’s fun to think about. Given that the snake image grabs so quickly at each and every one of us, what is it saying? Is the snake calling our attention to a fear of innate wisdom, power, or sexuality? Or the ability to deceive and kill? Are we going to bite the apple?

Betsy Robinson