D1a3 Phobias and preparedness

Question 1

Preparedness

Answer 1

the tendency to learn some associations more easily, quickly and permanently than others

Question 2

Seligman (1971)

Answer 2

suggested we learn links between some things easier than between others. E.g, more likely to fear deep water or thunder than sunshine and grass. Evolution “prepared” us to learn about things that are threatening. He though less input was need ed to learn association to prepared stimulus than non-prepared one, and believed this stimuli had to be threatening to humans early in evolution, as fearing these things is adaptive and increases chances of survival, as people that avoided getting hurt or killed more likely to have kids and pass on gene

Question 3

Strengths of preparedness theory

Answer 3

explains why some phobias more common, and why we don’t easily learn fears of modern technology, e.g electric sockets, knives, can explain one-trial learning