Me, my mom, my grandmother and both my aunts (moms sisters) are deathly afraid of snakes.
I've been hospitalized once because when one touched me i went into shock and couldn't stop hyperventilating.
This has also happened to my mom and one of her sisters.
nature or nurture?
2007-04-28 07:47:21 · 5 answers · asked by GCTA 4 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
Yeah, phobias are probably inherited, fear in our ancestors is what stops us from doing things you know may harm you instinctively. Offsprings also share a certain level of mentality with their parents (No one really wants it, I got a phobia of turning into something like my dad just because I somehow believe we share the same thinking pattern!), so if you think the same was as your parents, there's a good chance you'd be afraid of the same things one of them are afraid of.
2007-04-28 08:03:49 · answer #1 · answered by Silver Monkey 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nurture.
2007-04-28 08:45:55 · answer #2 · answered by Lee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps in some cases and that reminds me my youngest daughter and I cannot be in the same room with oranges; it's the smell that gets us.
Here is a case in which it is not possible. I am the only one in my family who is afraid of mobile phones.
2007-04-28 07:56:55 · answer #3 · answered by Laela (Layla) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe phobias are caused by either a traumatic experience, or they can be instilled in you, which is probably what happened in your case with the snakes.
2007-04-28 07:55:55 · answer #4 · answered by waia2000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Learned behavior.
2007-04-28 07:53:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋