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A spider spins a web at a remote area on Hong Kong's Lantau island June 22, 2009. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

A spider spins a web at a remote area on Hong Kong's Lantau island June 22, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Bobby Yip

VIENNA | Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:36pm EDT

VIENNA (Reuters) - An Austrian university is on the hunt for girls who recoil at the sight of spiders for research into how fear affects the processes of the brain.

"The researchers are looking for girls aged between 8-13 years who are very fearful of spiders and/or who feel sick at the sight of them," the University of Graz said on its website.

The girls will be shown pictures of the eight-legged crawlers and their brainwaves will be registered. They will also undergo free fear therapy with specialists. The researchers hope the results will help them develop their phobia treatments.

"Spiders provoke revulsion for many people and even set off fearful panic. Girls in particular are frequently affected," the university said.

(Reporting by Sylvia Westall, editing by Paul Casciato)
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Comments (2)
Doc00001 wrote:
Fear affects the processes of the brain by compelling people to sacrifice civil and human rights to despot governments. I thought everyone knew that! If politicians can figure that out, it must be an easy concept to comprehend.

Jul 01, 2010 8:42am EDT  --  Report as abuse
merkobmerkin wrote:
^ What does this have to do with politics you moron that kind of fear isn’t the same

Jul 07, 2010 5:25pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
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