November 2013
Featured in this insight: Culture, heritage & leisure, Public health & wellbeing
Survey reveals women's biggest fears: New findings have revealed that most women are more scared of public speaking than they are of dying; public speaking is the third most common fear after losing family members and being buried alive. The survey of 2,000 women found that women are most afraid of standing in a room talking to an audience. Women admitted that feel more nervous about stuttering, tripping up and looking foolish in public, suggesting that women hate the thought of making a spectacle of themselves.
The study, commissioned by Ripley’s ‘Believe It Not!’, examined the weird and wonderful things that make us the most fearful, also discovered the thought of public humiliation worried women far more than a visit to the dentist, teeth falling out or even aging. More bizarrely the survey uncovered a whole list of weird and wonderful phobias which including fears of lolly sticks, chickens, men with beards and feet – other irrational fears include woolly jumpers and cotton wool.
Half (50%) of those taking part in the study confessed they would get a partner to catch a mouse for them with two fifths (43%) asking him to confiscate a spider from the house. In addition to this, a fifth of men are expected to get something from the car a night time and are also expected to put the bins out if it’s dark.
Commenting on the findings, a spokesman for Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not!’ said:
“Women were questioned about the things which make them most worried and frightened. Incredibly, although more common terrors such as spiders, heights and the dark did feature on the final list, there were also very real fears most associated with events out of our control - such as losing loved ones, public humiliation or losing important things.”
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