Direct experience plays an important role in the learning process. Our research showed us how direct experience affects the expression of fear and the attitudes of
second-year high school students. We found out how students rate their fear and disgust towards selected animals, and whether there are differences in fear ratings between the genders. For the purpose of the research, we made an anonymous questionnaire, with the help of which we obtained socio-demographic data about the respondent, their general attitudes towards animals and the expression of fear towards selected species of animals. 187 students participated. We found that more than half of the students had direct experience with most of the selected animal species. Students expressed the most fear toward animals that cause physical injury (shark, bear), and most disgust toward animals that are unpleasant in appearance or have various bodily secretions (cockroach, spider, rat). The female students, on average, mostly expressed higher fear (except for the turtle) and disgust (except for the butterfly, horse, rabbit, and dog) than the male students. Students who had contact with more animals were generally more willing to preserve and protect animals and learn about them, felt they were not afraid of many animals, and felt less disgust than
students who had less contact. The girls were more willing to preserve and protect the animals, while at the same time feeling more afraid of many animals, but still wanting to have more contact with them than the male students.
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