What causes most humans to fear spiders?

Question

I heard different theories. One stated that spiders thousands of years ago were large and dangerous enough to kill people, and so those who feared and avoided them survived and this gene was passed on.
Another theory says that the sneeky stalking movement of spiders is similar to saber-toothed tigers, lions, and other large predators that hunted humans. Therefore, we are genetically programmed to fear all creatures (big or small) that move in such a manner.

Answer 1

http://www.earthlife.net/chelicerata/arachnophobia.html

Answer 2

There were many creatures that humans learned to fear or be cautious of in the beginning of time because they learned quickly that these creatures could kill.

There are people who aren't bothered by spiders but are terrified of rattlesnakes. Some believe that you never leave a rattlesnake alive.

I'd imagine that deep in the jungles of Africa or South American there are other creatures humans have a mortal fear of.

People learned to do what needed to be done to stay alive, and one of the biggest products of this was teaching their children this caution. This often translated as teaching their children to be afraid of them in order to instill the proper caution.

Imagine generation after generation of people teaching their children terror of these creatures - however justified it may have been. But it's a learned behavior, not genetic. Please.

I believe that THIS is why people are afraid of "spiders". A spider doesn't have to be gigantic to cause your death, neither does a rattlesnake. The smaller the profile, the more chance of them sneaking up on you, and therefore more reason to fear them.

Answer 3

I'm going to go with the first one. There are still many species of spiders that can kill people, the black widow, the brown recluse, the Sidney funnelweb. We admire lions and tigers and other large predators for their strength. We don't really have the same gut reaction to spiders.

Answer 4

The fear of spiders is not genetic, spiders were not huge. But we do know the damage they can do, (kill or maime). We don't go around sticking our hands in fire, because we know it burns. Infants don't know this until they experience it, sometimes thier parents can forewarn them, but most of the time human beings have to learn things for themselves. I work with infants and young toddlers, they see spiders and go right to them, touching without fear, I've even heard of them EATING them! No gentetic fear there. It's adults who install the terror, when we scream "GET AWAY!" That's when we learn as babies to fear things.

Answer 5

I believe that it is just from the fact that they are poisonous, some have knownto kill some people, & they are creepy-crawly. I personally love spiders. They are my favorite. I don't think it is genetic, except for the fact that parent hates spiders so child hates spiders, because they were taught to.

Answer 6

spiders are weird looking and kind of scary too and this is coming a person who is afraid of spiders too and what i know is that some spiders like the black widow can kill u so don't worry that much unless u see a spider that is black with a red butt then RUN!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

Big enough to kill people? I think you need to get a reliable scientific source for that!

Why are we afraid of spiders? They are creepy and crawley and some of them CAN kill you! (Think Black Widow or Brown Recluse).

Answer 8

for the same reason people fear anything else *(for the most part) because they do no understand it... or cause some spiders are poisoness and have the threat of harm

Answer 9

I'm afraid of spiders, because I've seen what can happen to human flesh after a really bad bite. and did you know that ticks ar arachnids? and they live off of blood, yuck.

Answer 10

I know a lot of my friends (girls, not to be offensive) hate them because they are hairy, have too many legs, and eyes

Answer 11

well, i was never afraid of them til i got bit by a brown recluse