Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2023 Jun;38(6):512-520. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.12.012. Epub 2023 Jan 25.
People can express irrational fears and disgust responses towards certain wild organisms. This so-called 'biophobia' can be useful and indeed necessary in some circumstances. Biophobia can, however, also lead to excessive distress and anxiety which, in turn, can result in people avoiding interactions with nature. Here, we highlight concern that this reduction in interactions with nature might lead to progressive increases in biophobia, entrenching it more in individuals and across society. We propose the 'vicious cycle of biophobia', a concept that encapsulates how excessive aversion towards nature might emerge and grow in society. The vicious cycle of biophobia risks accelerating the extinction of experience, leading to long-term adverse consequences for the conservation of biodiversity.
人们可能会对某些野生动物表现出非理性的恐惧和厌恶反应。这种所谓的“生物恐惧症”在某些情况下可能是有用的，甚至是必要的。然而，生物恐惧症也可能导致过度的痛苦和焦虑，从而导致人们避免与自然互动。在这里，我们关注的是，这种与自然的互动减少可能会导致生物恐惧症的逐渐增加，使其在个人和整个社会中更加根深蒂固。我们提出了“生物恐惧症的恶性循环”这一概念，它概括了对自然的过度厌恶是如何在社会中出现和发展的。生物恐惧症的恶性循环可能会加速经验的丧失，对生物多样性的保护产生长期的不利后果。
