Discuss the theory of evolutionary preparedness and how it may apply to specific phobia, social phobia and obsessivecompulsive disorder

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Our evolutionary history has affected the stimuli we are most likely to fear. People and primates seem genetically
prepared to quickly associate certain objects with fear rather than other objects. While there are many types of
specific phobias, most involve animals and situations that were a threat to our ancestors. Those primates and
humans who had this rapid acquisition of fear were more likely to survive and pass on their genes. The fear itself
is not inherited, the tendency to make certain connections quickly is. It was also advantageous to acquire fears of
social stimuli that signaled danger - angry or contemptuous faces. So social phobias may have an evolutionary
basis. The most common obsession in OCD - contamination and dirt - was also a threat to our ancestors and may
have the same type of preparedness component.