中文导读 很多人以为人类天生亲近自然，这就是常说的“生物亲近假说”。杜克大学 Vanessa Woods 等研究者在 Frontiers in Psychology 发表的跨文化研究提出：儿童对自然的吸引更像一种因人而异的气质特质；对蛇、蜘蛛等的恐惧，并不等于排斥生物多样性环境。阅读时可留意 attraction、fear、curiosity、temperament、conservation 等词，并注意作者强调照片选择反映的是偏好，不等于真实林中行为。
正文 Many people believe that humans are born with a deep love of nature . Scientists call this idea the biophilia hypothesis . It suggests that almost everyone feels drawn to forests , gardens , and wild animals . A new study from Duke University challenges that simple picture . The researchers say attraction to nature may look more like a temperament trait that differs among children .
本段译文 许多人相信，人类天生就对自然怀有深厚的喜爱。科学家把这种想法称为生物亲近假说。它认为几乎每个人都会被森林、花园和野生动物吸引。杜克大学的一项新研究挑战了这一简单图景。研究者认为，对自然的吸引更像一种在儿童之间存在差异的气质特质。
The team , led by research scientist Vanessa Woods , worked with Brian Hare and Gr áinne Fitzsimons of Duke and Melinda Knuth of North Carolina State University . They studied 295 children aged three to thirteen . Some visited the North Carolina Zoo in the United States . Others were tested at the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary in Kinshasa , in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Each child rated fear of animals such as snakes , spiders , and beetles . They also chose among images of gardens , wildlife scenes , and travel places that differed in biodiversity .
本段译文 研究由科研人员 Vanessa Woods 牵头，杜克大学的 Brian Hare、Gráinne Fitzsimons 以及北卡罗来纳州立大学的 Melinda Knuth 参与。他们研究了 295 名 3 到 13 岁的儿童。一部分在美国北卡罗来纳动物园完成测试，另一部分在刚果民主共和国金沙萨的 Lola ya Bonobo 庇护所接受测试。每个孩子都对蛇、蜘蛛、甲虫等动物的恐惧程度打分，并在生物多样性程度不同的花园、野生动物场景和旅行目的地图片中做出选择。
The clearest finding surprised the team . Fear and attraction were not opposites . Children who said they feared spiders or snakes were often just as interested in biodiverse places as children with little fear . In both countries , fear scores showed almost no link to the three attraction measures . Kids scared of spiders were still willing to welcome mixed insects , including butterflies and beetles , into a yard scene Woods argues that caution toward certain animals and curiosity about living environments may be separate psychological systems . That mix could help children stay curious while remaining careful around possible threats
本段译文 最清晰的发现让团队感到意外：恐惧与吸引并不是对立面。表示害怕蜘蛛或蛇的孩子，往往和对这些动物几乎不害怕的孩子一样，对生物多样性较高的场所感兴趣。在两国样本中，恐惧得分与三类吸引指标几乎没有关联。害怕蜘蛛的孩子，仍然愿意在后院场景中接纳包括蝴蝶和甲虫在内的混合昆虫。Woods 认为，对某些动物的谨慎，与对有生命环境的好奇，可能是两套不同的心理系统。这种组合也许能让孩子保持好奇，同时又对可能的威胁保持小心。
The study also found wide differences among individuals and cultures . Some children preferred wilder settings ; others chose more controlled gardens . These patterns appeared early and across both sites , so biophilia may sit on a spectrum rather than as one shared instinct . U .S . children scored higher on wildlife tolerance and biophilic travel than Congolese peers , while overall fear levels were fairly close . The paper appeared in Frontiers in Psychology in late October 2026 and was supported by the John Templeton Foundation
本段译文 研究还发现，个体之间和文化之间的差异很大。有些孩子更偏好更野生的环境，另一些则选择更受控制的花园。这些模式在童年早期就出现，并在两个地点都可见，因此生物亲近可能更像一条光谱，而不是人人相同的本能。美国儿童在野生动物耐受和亲近旅行两项上的得分高于刚果同伴，而总体恐惧水平相当接近。论文于 2026 年 10 月下旬发表在 Frontiers in Psychology，并得到 John Templeton Foundation 的支持。
The authors note clear limits . Choices among photographs show stated preferences , not what a child would do in a real forest . Zoo and sanctuary visitors may already lean toward nature , and family backgrounds differed between sites . Still , the message for schools and conservation programs is practical . Do not give up on a child who fears one creature Wonder about the wider natural world can remain , and teaching may work better when it respects each child’s comfort and interest
本段译文 作者也指出了明确局限。在照片之间做选择反映的是口头偏好，并不等于孩子在真实森林中会怎么做。动物园和庇护所的参观者本身可能已经更偏向自然，两地家庭背景也不同。不过，对学校和保护项目的启示很实际：不要因为孩子害怕某一种生物就放弃。对更广阔自然世界的好奇仍可能保留；当教学尊重每个孩子的舒适度与兴趣时，也许会更有效。
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