Perception of insects by undergraduates from Feira de Santana State University, Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

Study developed on the perception of insects by 533 undergraduates from 20 courses of the Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil, has shown that, in general, the term “insect” is assigned to not systematically related organisms. Data were obtained through a simple questionnaire from October to December 1999. The construction of the “insect” ethnocategory has been determined according to ambiguous perceptions, since students have shown reactions of fear, disgust, and disdain toward those organisms included in the “insect” ethnozoological domain, and have attributed ecological, esthetical, and utilitary roles to them. The emotional meaning associated with this dominion may contribute to the understanding of both individual perception and cognitive information process