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Fighting Spider Phobia
UNIVERSITY OF BASEL, MCN
FACE YOUR FEAR: People can use a new app to help overcome their spider phobia.
Many people find spiders creepy. But for those who suffer from arachnophobia—an intense fear of spiders—these eight-legged creatures are downright terrifying. To help people fight this fear, scientists at the University of Basel in Switzerland developed an app called Phobys.
The app uses augmented reality technology. When a person looks at their phone’s screen, they see a digital spider projected onto their real-life environment through the camera. Exposing people to a scary situation is known to help them become less fearful. “It’s very uncomfortable to confront your fear, but it’s also very effective,” says psychologist Anja Zimmer, who worked on the app.
In 2021, approximately 1,000 American adults were surveyed about their top fears. This bar graph shows the percentage of people who reported being afraid or very afraid of certain situations or things. About how many people reported being afraid or very afraid of clowns?
SOURCE: CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY