Researchers Say That There May Be A Genetic Component Responsible For A Person’s Fear Of Cockroaches
It is difficult to imagine anybody not being grossed out by cockroaches. At the very least, these otherworldly creatures must arouse negative emotions in everybody, right? While many people may hate cockroaches, not everyone is afraid of them. Some people may encounter a cockroach within their home with the intention of picking it up and setting it outside. While others cannot help but to scream and yell in terror as they literally run from an oval-shaped insect that is no bigger than a walnut. So why do some people fear cockroaches?
Experts tell us that people’s attitudes toward cockroaches and other insects can be conditioned during childhood. According to psychotherapist Jolene Hwee, children come into the world largely fearless, but the manner in which parents treat insects and spiders can influence how children view the same creepy crawlies throughout their entire lives. In fact, Hwee believes that people’s fears of creepy crawlies are shaped by the environment, while genetics play a minimal role, if any, in the development of phobias. Many experts agree with Hwee, such as Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive of Science Centre Singapore. At the moment, Meng is staging an exhibition called “Phobia: The Science of Fear.” This exhibition is being staged in order to educate the public about their own fears of cockroaches and other insects. According to Meng, simply witnessing an adult, especially a parent, responding in fear to a cockroach is enough to cause the observing child to react in a like manner for the rest of his/her life. Although environmental factors may lead to a person’s fear of cockroaches, Meng also believes that genetics could play a role.
The fear of cockroaches is officially termed “katsaridaphobia” and there may actually be a gene that passess this fear onto offspring. Studies show that the offspring of traumatized mice exhibit the same trauma-induced behaviors as their parents, despite never having lived through the trauma themselves. Perhaps humans are not that much different. So if you find yourself with a bad case of katsaridaphobia, your parents may be the ones to blame.
Do you like the idea of katsaridaphobia being a non-genetic trait that can be learned away through exposure and other therapeutic methods?