The bigger the threat, the longer the gaze? A cross-cultural study of Somalis and Czechs
High fear reaction, preferential attention, or fast detection are only a few of the specific responses which snakes evoke in humans. Previous research has shown that these responses are shared amongst several distinct cultures suggesting the evolutionary origin of the response. However, populations...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1234593/full |
| _version_ | 1797671803588444160 |
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| author | Iveta Štolhoferová Daniel Frynta Markéta Janovcová Veronika Rudolfová Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi Kateřina Rexová Daniel Alex Berti David Král David Sommer Eva Landová Petra Frýdlová |
| author_facet | Iveta Štolhoferová Daniel Frynta Markéta Janovcová Veronika Rudolfová Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi Kateřina Rexová Daniel Alex Berti David Král David Sommer Eva Landová Petra Frýdlová |
| author_sort | Iveta Štolhoferová |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | High fear reaction, preferential attention, or fast detection are only a few of the specific responses which snakes evoke in humans. Previous research has shown that these responses are shared amongst several distinct cultures suggesting the evolutionary origin of the response. However, populations from sub-Saharan Africa have been largely missing in experimental research focused on this issue. In this paper, we focus on the effect of snake threat display on human spontaneous attention. We performed an eye-tracking experiment with participants from Somaliland and the Czechia and investigated whether human attention is swayed towards snakes in a threatening posture. Seventy-one Somalis and 71 Czechs were tested; the samples were matched for gender and comparable in age structure and education level. We also investigated the effect of snake morphotype as snakes differ in their threat display. We found that snakes in a threatening posture were indeed gazed upon more than snakes in a relaxed (non-threatening) posture. Further, we found a large effect of snake morphotype as this was especially prominent in cobras, less in vipers, and mostly non-significant in other morphotypes. Finally, despite highly different cultural and environmental backgrounds, the overall pattern of reaction towards snakes was similar in Somalis and Czechs supporting the evolutionary origin of the phenomenon. We concluded that human attention is preferentially directed towards snakes, especially cobras and vipers, in threatening postures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:20:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f7722fd8e0a4fcf8a5a0b8c86814890 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:20:48Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f7722fd8e0a4fcf8a5a0b8c868148902023-09-28T05:54:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-09-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.12345931234593The bigger the threat, the longer the gaze? A cross-cultural study of Somalis and CzechsIveta Štolhoferová0Daniel Frynta1Markéta Janovcová2Veronika Rudolfová3Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi4Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi5Kateřina Rexová6Daniel Alex Berti7David Král8David Sommer9Eva Landová10Petra Frýdlová11Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Education, Amoud University, Borama, SomaliaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaHigh fear reaction, preferential attention, or fast detection are only a few of the specific responses which snakes evoke in humans. Previous research has shown that these responses are shared amongst several distinct cultures suggesting the evolutionary origin of the response. However, populations from sub-Saharan Africa have been largely missing in experimental research focused on this issue. In this paper, we focus on the effect of snake threat display on human spontaneous attention. We performed an eye-tracking experiment with participants from Somaliland and the Czechia and investigated whether human attention is swayed towards snakes in a threatening posture. Seventy-one Somalis and 71 Czechs were tested; the samples were matched for gender and comparable in age structure and education level. We also investigated the effect of snake morphotype as snakes differ in their threat display. We found that snakes in a threatening posture were indeed gazed upon more than snakes in a relaxed (non-threatening) posture. Further, we found a large effect of snake morphotype as this was especially prominent in cobras, less in vipers, and mostly non-significant in other morphotypes. Finally, despite highly different cultural and environmental backgrounds, the overall pattern of reaction towards snakes was similar in Somalis and Czechs supporting the evolutionary origin of the phenomenon. We concluded that human attention is preferentially directed towards snakes, especially cobras and vipers, in threatening postures.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1234593/fullAfricaeye-trackingsnakeSnake detection theoryspontaneous attention |
| spellingShingle | Iveta Štolhoferová Daniel Frynta Markéta Janovcová Veronika Rudolfová Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi Kateřina Rexová Daniel Alex Berti David Král David Sommer Eva Landová Petra Frýdlová The bigger the threat, the longer the gaze? A cross-cultural study of Somalis and Czechs Frontiers in Psychology Africa eye-tracking snake Snake detection theory spontaneous attention |
| title | The bigger the threat, the longer the gaze? A cross-cultural study of Somalis and Czechs |
| title_full | The bigger the threat, the longer the gaze? A cross-cultural study of Somalis and Czechs |
| title_fullStr | The bigger the threat, the longer the gaze? A cross-cultural study of Somalis and Czechs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The bigger the threat, the longer the gaze? A cross-cultural study of Somalis and Czechs |
| title_short | The bigger the threat, the longer the gaze? A cross-cultural study of Somalis and Czechs |
| title_sort | bigger the threat the longer the gaze a cross cultural study of somalis and czechs |
| topic | Africa eye-tracking snake Snake detection theory spontaneous attention |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1234593/full |
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