This isn’t too surprising, the team adds. After all, social learning is a known component of other phobias, like those for snakes or spiders, “in which a person becomes exposed to society’s representation and view of certain objects and/or becomes aware of the aversion experienced by a family member.”
But the recent findings do suggest that the commonness of trypophobia may be influenced, at least in part, by its large presence on the internet.
Trypophobia is not yet a medically recognized condition. It was first described in the scientific literature by two psychologists from the University of Essex in 2013, one of whom is also an author on the new paper. The name for the phenomenon, however, actually seems to have emerged eight years prior in online discussions.
Today, however, scientists are still torn over whether or not trypophobia is a real condition, or if it is “a fear made worse by the internet”, as some have speculated. They can’t even agree on how many people it affects.
In 2013, scientists settled on 15 percent of people, but in 2023, a large study on young people in China found that trypophobia probably impacts 17.6 percent of people.
The psychologist Geoff Cole, who wrote that initial 2013 paper, has now led another series of experiments at the University of Essex, to understand the condition better. Unlike their previous study, Cole and his team found that trypophobia impacts about 10 percent of people.
While it’s true that a negative experience with an event or object can induce a phobia, it’s unlikely that those with trypophobia have ever actually been threatened by a cluster of little holes.
Instead, scientists have suggested the fear or sense of disgust is an evolutionary remnant. It makes us feel uncomfortable because the pattern resembles parasite infestations, infectious diseases, or decomposition – all of which can threaten human health.
“Overall,” researchers at Essex conclude, “these data suggest that both social learning and non-social learning contribute to trypophobia.”
The study was published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental.
Source : https://www.sciencealert.com/internet-could-be-worsening-our-fear-of-small-holes-psychologists-say
