Children's fear of animals does not necessarily reduce their interest in nature, according to research published in Frontiers in Psychology. The study challenges the idea that all humans share the same innate attraction to biodiversity and instead suggests that this affinity varies between individuals, much like a temperament trait.
The research was inspired in part by observations made by Vanessa Woods, a research scientist in Duke University's evolutionary anthropology department, of her own children. While her son enjoyed mud, insects and outdoor exploration, her daughter preferred more structured settings such as gardens and manicured landscapes.
Woods and her colleagues studied 295 children between the ages of 3 and 13 at the North Carolina Zoo and the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The children completed assessments on their fear of animals, described as biophobia, and their preferences for biodiversity in situations involving gardens, wildlife encounters and travel destinations.
The researchers found that fear and attraction were not opposites. Children who were afraid of spiders, snakes, beetles and other animals could be just as interested in biodiverse environments as children who reported little fear. In one example, children scared of spiders were still as likely to invite a group of insects, including butterflies and beetles, into their yards.
The results indicate that attraction to biodiversity and avoidance of particular creatures may involve separate psychological systems. This could allow children to remain curious about natural environments while responding cautiously to animals they perceive as threats.
The study also identified considerable differences among children. Some consistently preferred biodiverse settings, while others favored more controlled environments. These patterns appeared early in childhood and across the two cultures represented in the research, suggesting that biophilia may exist on a spectrum rather than being equally shared by everyone.
The findings could influence conservation efforts, environmental education and public engagement with nature. Instead of assuming that all children respond to biodiversity in the same way, programs may benefit from adapting to differences in their interests, preferences and comfort levels.
Woods is discussing a future project with Duke Gardens to examine how children respond to different degrees of biodiversity. The proposed work would compare the highly naturalistic and biodiverse Blomquist native plant garden with the more curated Discovery Garden.
Kavanah Anderson, director of learning and community engagement at Duke Gardens, said that understanding can help reduce children's fear. She described students becoming comfortable observing pollinating bees closely enough to see pollen baskets on their legs and details of their compound eyes.
The study, titled "Biophilia as a temperament trait, not a universal: children's attraction and aversion to biodiversity in the United States and Democratic Republic of Congo," was published on Oct. 30 in Frontiers in Psychology. Its DOI is 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1904601.
Sources: Phys.org.