The Science Behind Our Fear Of Clowns

What could possibly be more frightening than climate change, biological warfare, dying, and -wait for it- Obamacare? What about.... clowns. Hi, jokers, it's Natalia for DNews! A legitimate phobia of clowns is called coulrophobia. Although a lot of people are creeped out by clowns, full-blown coulrophobia is not a common phobia. However, with the rise of creepy clown sightings across the US and parts of Britain, we wanted to know: why are people so afraid of clowns? Is it an innate fear or a fear born out of horror films, like “It” and “Killer Klowns from Outer Space'? Well, there is actually some science to back up why so many people are creeped out by these merry pranksters. A 2008 British survey of approximately 250 children, found that nearly all of them thought clowns, regardless if they were intentionally scary or not, were ‘creepy'. But how could Bozo the Clown be in the same category as Pennywise from “It”?

An attribute of many clowns is their unwavering dedication to sticking with ONE emotion. A sad clown is always sad. A happy clown is always smiling. They wear their emotions like a mask with painted on makeup and you don't know what's really going on underneath. This creates something called deindividuation, which is when an individual's identity is obscured. This applies to everything from burglars wearing masks to individuals commenting anonymously online-- ahem trolls. Evolutionary Psychologist Glenn Geher says that people who are in a state of deindividuation are more likely to engage in despicable behavior, like cheating and stealing. So when we encounter someone like this, we quote, “expect them to act at their worst.” Humans don't do well with uncertainty, including unpredictable behavior. In a study released by New Directions in Psychology, researchers argued that creepiness was a bi-product of ambiguity. People feel fear when they know something is going to hurt them, but if they are unsure of someone's behavior, the mere threat leaves them ‘creeped out'. According to the co-author of the study, psychology professor Francis T. McAndrew, clowns are, quote “mischievous, which puts people constantly on guard.” Think about it. You never know what you're gonna get with a clown! I mean, jeez, if clown car pulls up you don't know if you're gonna be ambushed by 1, 5, or 30 clowns. Talk about about uncertainty. For someone with coulrophobia, a clown car is the ultimate nightmare.

Now, clowns also fall into a psychological category called “Uncanny Valley”. Freud came up with the term “uncanny” to describe the phenomenon that humans experience when they see something that is familiar but is somehow off. And the term “Uncanny Valley” was first coined by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori and includes almost human-like creatures that aren't quite human; they sort of trick our brain, which in turn, creeps us out. Like lifelike animatronic humans or a ventriloquist dummy. Clowns are human but they are an exaggerated version of ourselves. That makes them fit in the “uncanny valley” valley. And a lot of clowns are stuck in a permanent smile. When someone smiles at you, your brain often interprets it as a nice, safe gesture. But the brain can detect a fake or an unnatural smile. According to Harvard professor of Psychiatry Dr. Steven Schlozman, your brain recognizes that when someone smiles ALL the time, there is something off, as with clowns. Makes you wonder what their true intention is- do they want to hug you or murder you in your sleep. So if you have a mild to severe fear of clowns, you're not alone. But remember clowns are people too. Even the creepy ones.