It’s not Pennywise’s fault. Study shows clownphobia is not what we think

Pennywise, Twisty, Wrinkle, Bozo, and Roonald McDonald all have something in common. For example, they cause fear in some people, a desire to close their eyes and run in the opposite direction, writes New Atlas.

Although fear of clowns or clown phobia is quite common and affects people of different ages and cultures, it is still not fully understood. Especially as for the causes that make up this phobia, because the object of fear can be not only a disgusting and scary clown from movies and stories, but also a seemingly harmless clown in a circus.

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In a new study, scientists from the School of Psychology and Therapeutic Research at the University of South Wales (UK) examined the prevalence of clown phobia to understand where it originates and what exactly makes people afraid of clowns.

Note that clown phobia is not classified as a separate condition in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, it fits quite well into the category of specific phobias in the class of anxiety disorders. In previous studies, scientists have already tried to understand the causes of this phobia, but none have focused specifically on the origin of this particular fear of clowns.

During the study, the researchers developed a questionnaire that helped them examine individual responses to clowns and find links between this phobia and demographic factors such as age and gender. Recipients were asked to answer a series of questions regarding the appearance of clowns, their behavior, the depiction of clowns in movies and literature, and any negative experiences with clowns.

As a result, the scientists selected a sample of 987 participants aged between 18 and 72, of whom 80% were women and 20% were men. The survey showed that just over half (53.5%) of buyers said they feared clowns to some degree, while only 5% said they were “very afraid” of clowns.

Additionally, the researchers found that the percentages who reported extreme fear of clowns were slightly higher than those of other phobias. For comparison:

• 3.8% animals;
• 3% blood, injections, injuries;
• 2.8% height;
• 1.3% flight.

Research also shows that women are more likely to fear clowns than men. By the way, scientists say this statistic applies not only to fear of clowns, but also to a number of other fears. The results of the study also show that fear of clowns decreases with age.

However, the researchers also found some interesting facts. For example, the presence of negative experiences with clowns was found to be the lowest among the factors contributing to the development of the phobia. At the same time, the negative portrayal of clowns in literature and movies was a much stronger factor. However, it turned out that the strongest factor influencing the development of a phobia are hidden emotional signals. In simple terms, a clown’s makeup tends to hide his true facial expression – this makes it difficult to understand his intentions, which then causes fear of the clown.

The scientists note that the results of their study shed light on the cause of one of the most common fear of clown phobias, and also raise many questions that scientists plan to examine in further research.

Previously Focus He wrote that scientists have found out why some people are afraid of blood and others love bloody movies.