London - When we see their spindly legs scuttling across the
floor, many of us quake with fear. Scientists believe they may
have worked out why we fear spiders more than other creepy-
crawlies. Psychology professor Jon May says their angular shaped
legs, dark colours and the fact they move unpredictably are all
things we are hard-wired to fear. He said studies have shown
that people tend to dislike angular shapes and prefer curved
ones, have bad associations with dark colours, and prefer
creatures we feel we can “understand”. Professor May, from
Plymouth University, added: “Spiders just tick all these boxes,
and like any phobia, when it builds up in someone’s mind they
can become scared even seeing a picture. We like bright-
coloured butterflies and ladybirds, but spiders are dark
coloured with long angular legs – and the shape and colour both
have strong negative associations. “We are also very sensitive
to seeing things moving out of the corner of our eye and
immediately notice it, and insects move quickly a