Yasmin Villarreal

Per. 3 Brit Lit

Trotter

5 February 2019

"Eek, a snake! Humans may be hard-wired to spot serpents -- and fast."

Washingtonpost.com, 10 Nov. 2016. Student Resources In Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A469730737/SUIC?u=rive31076&sid=SUIC&xid=66b

6b98f Accessed 4 Feb. 2019.

In this article from the Washington Post the author explains how the fear of reptiles comes

naturally to our bodies. When we are in a close encounter with a snake our will and mind are

completely pushed to the side and our natural instinct to jump back comes up. The author uses a

test that Charles Darwin took on himself when he put himself up face to face with a snake. The

author also tells us the scientific name for being able to spot snakes at such a fast rate “snake

detection theory” and how it became a part of us. In this article the author talks about how this

fear is not only in humans but also primates that have never seen a snake. These primates were

naturally very afraid of only a picture when they had never come into contact with snakes

because they were raised in captivity. This article can help me with my capstone project because

it gives me background on why people are afraid and Since people are mostly afraid snakes I can

hopefully help them just hold a lizard and go up to small snake.

Carbonell, David. “Snake Phobia: Common & Treatable.” Overcoming Anxiety: First Steps,

26 Jan. 2019, www.anxietycoach.com/snakephobia.html

In this article the author explains how there are many people with this phobia but they rarely

speak out because they are to afraid of being judged. The author explains to us where the fear of

snakes came from and how to get over it or atleast attempt to. The author uses evidence of real

life situations of when people get afraid of snakes and makes them feel like it is their own fault

that they are afraid, but the author reassures us that it is part of human nature to have this fear.

The author also links a guide on how to get over this fear if the person reading is really

committed. This article can give me more of an inside perspective of people who do not like

reptiles and can help me understand how they feel. The source tells me what happens to people

when they are afraid and what is going through their mind. This source can help me in my

capstone by showing me what exactly they are afraid of so I know how to help them.

Gibbens, Sarah. “Are We Born Fearing Spiders and Snakes?” National Geographic,

National Geographic Society, 26 Oct. 2017,

www.news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/10/infant-fear-phobia-science-snakes-video-spd/

In this article by The National Geographic Channel it is explained what happens to the human

body when faced with a snake or spider. Many studies are used in this article to find the initial

reaction of people and snakes and spiders. The author uses a study done at the Max Planck

Institute to see if babies fear these animals. Another study was taken to see what happens to the

body when these animals are placed in front of them. In this study it was found that when people

see a snake their eyes dilate but when a flower is placed in front of them their eyes stay normal.

Then a later study is done on babies to see if the same thing happens to their bodies but there is

no sign of fear in some of the babies. This means that the fear grows over time by the way that

they are raised or through experiences. This source is going to be helpful to me because if I see a

sign of this happening I am have to make sure that the person does not panic.
 Dubose, Jennifer. “Ultimate Guide to Overcoming Ophidiophobia [The Fear of Snakes].”

Helping People Overcome Their Fears to Experience a More Fulfilled Life., Fearapy, 6 Jan.

2019, www.fearapy.com/phobias/ophidiophobia/

This article shows more statistics than the last two sources. This article tells how snakes are

presented and make people fear them and our society shapes snakes to be evil and we are

conditioned to dislike and fear snakes. This author gives statistics from government and the news

to give the real facts. This article gives lots of information on why people afraid and what they

can do to get over it. It also gives stories and movies that make snakes look bad and like they

should be feared. This author gives videos and photos of people being afraid. This article can

help me understand why people are afraid by reading the section “snakes in the news” and

“snakes in movies”. This information is very usable because it gives lots of other sources that I

can go to if I need another perspective or more statistics.

Scott, Catherine, et al. "Thinking like a Ssssscientist! Fear of snakes inspires a unit on

science as inquiry." Science and Children, Sept. 2010, p. 38. Student Resources In Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A235194476/SUIC?u=rive31076&sid=SUIC&xid=3ff7

9f41 Accessed 5 Feb. 2019.

This Academic journal starts out talking about how a school was supposed to go on a field trip

but it was canceled due to the concerns of the parents that their child was going to have a run in

with a snake. Due to this the school decided to educate their students on snakes and why they

should not be afraid. The whole academic journal is about the project that they did on these kids

and the data that they got out of it. This source explained how through all this research that the

students did it raised their interest in these creatures. They were less afraid .of the snakes towards

the end. This source will be helpful to me because it gave me ideas on how I can educate the
people that are at my event for my capstone. The project that was done in this academic journal

is similar to my capstone project except for me putting it into one day and not a week.