Researchers have found that people who are scared of one thing often become scared of similar things too, a process known as fear generalization. Exposure therapy, where people are gradually exposed to what they’re afraid of in a controlled way, is the best treatment we have, teaching the brain that the feared thing is no longer a threat. This therapy doesn’t just reduce fear of the specific thing it’s aimed at but can also lessen fear of other, similar things. For example, treating a fear of spiders might also reduce a fear of cockroaches. Iris Kodzaga and colleagues looked into whether this …