#12107. Using the Implicit Association Test to Evaluate Subconscious Attitudes Toward Snakes

July 2026publication date
Proposal available till 02-06-2025
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Journal’s subject area:
Anthropology;
Sociology and Political Science;
Education;
Animal Science and Zoology;
Veterinary (miscellaneous);
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More details about the manuscript: Science Citation Index Expanded or/and Social Sciences Citation Index
Abstract:
Human fear and antipathy toward snakes make conservation of these species difficult, as negative attitudes are not generally linked to public support. However, our understanding of whether such attitudes are innate or learned is limited. In this study, respondents aged 7–76 years completed an implicit association test which demonstrated their negative implicit attitudes toward snakes. Parents had more negative implicit attitudes toward snakes than children, but we detected no effects for sex or race/ethnicity, and the overall ability for demographic variables to predict implicit attitudes was low. Collectively, these results support the hypothesis that human aversion to snakes is implicit and provide more evidence that aversion may be innate within our biological or cultural memory. Implicit bias training may be critical to mitigate the effects of negative implicit attitudes toward snakes. Although future research is needed to understand socio-demographic correlates of implicit biases against snakes, our results suggest interventions may be crafted without concern about unique responses to snakes across sex and ethnicities.
Keywords:
Children; conservation; household; human–animal interaction; implicit attitudes; snake

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