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What causes trypophobia?

Geoff G Cole1, Aakash Bansal1, Madeline J Eacott1

  • 1Centre for Brain Science, University of Essex, Wivenhoe, UK.

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|January 8, 2026
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Trypophobia, an aversion to clusters of small holes, is likely caused by disease avoidance. This review examines evidence for this and other explanations for the condition.

Keywords:
Trypophobiaanxietyaversionvisual discomfortvisual stress

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Visual Perception
  • Phobias

Background:

  • Trypophobia is an aversion to clusters of small holes, first described in 2013.
  • Approximately 60 research papers and numerous media articles discuss trypophobia.
  • Several hypotheses attempt to explain the underlying causes of this phenomenon.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review existing literature on trypophobia.
  • To examine proposed explanations for the aversive responses associated with trypophobia.
  • To determine the most probable cause of trypophobia based on current evidence.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of scientific papers and media articles on trypophobia.
  • Analysis of four proposed hypotheses for trypophobia.
  • Evaluation of evidence supporting each hypothesis.

Main Results:

  • Four main hypotheses for trypophobia exist: cortical hyperexcitability, dangerous animal mimicry, disease cues, and social learning.
  • Evidence suggests that trypophobia stimuli may resemble patterns associated with disease.
  • The disease avoidance hypothesis is presented as the most likely explanation.

Conclusions:

  • The disease avoidance hypothesis offers the most compelling explanation for trypophobia.
  • Further research may be needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms behind trypophobia.
  • Understanding trypophobia's origins can inform psychological and public health perspectives.