Are YOU scared of clowns? Questionnaire reveals your degree of coulrophobia

If the image of the clown turns your head away, you may have a phobia.

Researchers at the University of Wales created “The Fear of Clowns Questionnaire” to explore the origins of this phobia, but the results may not be what most people would expect.

Participants were asked to fill a tank with 18 items ranging from ‘completely agree’ to ‘completely disagree’, such as ‘I would leave the room if I met a clown’.

The survey also led to the origin of people’s fear, with clown makeup appearing inhuman, reported as the most popular explanation.

However, the team also found that clown phobia decreased with age.

Previous research has shown that people aren’t born with a fear of clowns, but develop a phobia as they age.

Coulophobia begins at an early age when a child sees thrillers featuring killer clowns – Outer Space’s Killer Clown, released in 1998, and Stephen King’s It, released in 1986, are just two examples.

But there are real “killer clowns” like serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who murdered 33 boys and young people in the 1970s, performing as Pogo the Clown at charity events and children’s parties.

“But while some people fear Ronald McDonald, the fast food chain’s mascot, he’s not going to scare you,” the researchers wrote. conversation.

“This suggests there may be something more fundamental about clown appearances that upsets people.”

The team surveyed 987 people between the ages of 18 and 77.

These participants were in Africa, Europe, Australia, the Americas, and the United Kingdom.

Items included: Do anything to avoid clowns. When you meet a clown, it takes a long time to get it out of your head. If I saw a clown, I would be scared of it. If you see a clown, you will panic very much.

Responses were obtained using a seven-point scale from 1 strongly disagree to 7 strongly agree. And the higher the points, the more intense the phobia.

Results showed that participants from Asia reported the highest degree of phobias, whereas European participants reported the lowest. International Mental Health Journal.

However, 54% of all respondents were somewhat afraid of clowns.

The next step for this researcher was to identify the origin of this fear.

In first place was the inhuman appearance, while in second place was the clown’s “exaggerated facial features that convey a sense of direct menace.”

The next reason is makeup that hides people’s emotions and makes them feel uneasy.

Some respondents reported that makeup “reminds them of death, infection, or blood damage and evokes disgust or avoidance,” the researchers wrote.

The next origin was that the clown’s unpredictable behavior made us uncomfortable, followed by learning fear from the family.

And the “negative portrayal of clowns in popular culture” caused people’s fear.

It may be surprising, but the last reason was “horror experience with a clown”.

“Interestingly, the final description of having a terrifying personal experience with a clown showed the lowest level of agreement,” the researchers wrote in The Conversation.

“This shows that life experience alone cannot fully explain why people are afraid of them.”