New research published in Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests that trypophobia, often described as the fear of clusters of small holes, may not just be a viral internet sensation but rather a genuine psychological condition. Findings suggest around 1 in 10 people being affected.
Trypophobia, which triggers feelings of disgust, discomfort, or anxiety at the sight of hole clusters, has been a topic of scientific inquiry with nearly fifty studies delving into its nature.
However, the condition has also garnered online attention such as through images of lotus seed pods, honeycomb or aerated chocolate, leading many to speculate that it is a phenomenon driven by social media.
Curiosity about trypophobia’s prevalence led researchers to consider the role of social learning in its development. Social learning theory suggests that we learn new behaviors by observing and imitating others. The research team, led by Geoff G. Cole from the University of Essex, questioned whether exposure to trypophobic images on platforms like Facebook or Instagram could heighten sensitivity to the condition.
The team conducted two experiments. The first surveyed over 2,558 individuals using the Trypophobia Questionnaire to see if age and gender were linked to trypophobia, as younger people and females tend to have higher engagement with social media. The second recruited 283 individuals and focused on whether prior knowledge of the condition made an individual more sensitive to trypophobic stimuli, relative to those who have not heard of the condition.
Findings revealed that younger people and women are more likely to experience higher sensitivity to trypophobic discomfort as indicated by higher scores on the Trypophobia Questionnaire, and that trypophobic sensitivity systematically decreases with age, suggesting that social media use plays a role in contributing to this phenomenon.
Moreover, sensitivity to trypophobic stimuli was found to be stronger in individuals who had previously heard of the condition compared to those who had not.
Interestingly though, around a quarter of those affected had never heard of trypophobia, suggesting that the condition extends beyond the realm of social learning through social media.
“With respect to non-social learning components, this is of course less easy to identify. The condition may be due to an evolved sensitivity towards noxious animals. [An alternative theory] suggests that humans have evolved sensitivity towards skin pathologies. Evidence for this comes from the observation that emotional responses to trypophobia are greater when the holes are digitally placed onto human skin,” Cole and colleagues suggest.
The authors concluded, “Overall, these results suggest that although trypophobia’s wide Internet presence may have contributed to the social learning aspect of the phenomenon; this cannot be the sole explanation.”
While the study does not explicitly acknowledge limitations, participants were recruited only from the United Kingdom, suggesting the need for a more globally diverse sample.
The study, “The social learning account of trypophobia,” was authored by Geoff G. Cole, Abbie C. Millett, and Marie Juanchich.