Itsy bitsy spider: Fear of spiders and snakes is deeply embedded in us

(Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences) Snakes and spiders evoke fear and disgust in many people, even in developed countries where hardly anybody comes into contact with them. Until now, there has been debate about whether this aversion is innate or learnt. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have recently discovered that it is hereditary: Even babies feel stressed when seeing these creatures - long before they could have learnt this reaction.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2x8sihg