Books about evolutionary psychology written for a general audience. A phobia can be defined as fear of a situation that is out of proportion to its danger, which suggests the very weirdness of. A frequent criticism of evolutionary psychology is that its hypotheses are difficult or impossible to test, challenging its status as an empirical science. Newly available in paperback, this is the first book to bring together classic and contemporary readings illustrating the new subdiscipline, evolutionary psychopathology.
The fear of rejection or judgement from others is a powerful force for humans. If youre looking for a phobia name thats not on the listim afraid i dont have it. The evolutionary psychology response to critics has been covered in books by segerstrale 2000, defenders of the truth. Cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes such as attention, memory, perception, language use, problem solving, creativity, and thinking. All the phobia names on this list have been found in some reference book. Strange hopes and stranger fears routledge classics. Please dont ask me about curing phobias because i know little about them. Yet, i know that my parents and i have different phobias so that in some way changes your theory of genetics. An evolutionary approach to any behaviour including anxiety and other forms of psychopathology refers to two separate causes. I dont know if its all just epicycles, but its a heck of a good try. As an example, critics point out that many current traits likely evolved to serve different functions from those they do now, confounding attempts to make backward inferences into history. An evolutionary perspective on the psychology of fear wiley online. This theory focuses on neuropsychology, which is a branch of psychology that is dedicated to studying the structure and function of the brain.
Each chapter demonstrates how evolutionary arguments are being brought to bear on the study of a different psychiatric condition or pathalogical behaviour. Evolutionary psychology is a theoretical approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological structure from a modern evolutionary perspective. Also, experiences after a conditioning experience may effect strength and maintenance of the conditioned fear ex. When people have asked me what the cause of it is, i have always said that i thought it was evolutionary or biological. So it can be a great text to put evolutionary psychology into the greater perspective of brain structure, genes, and biology. The main premise of evolutionary psychology is that while today the human mind is shaped by the modern social world, it is adapted to the natural environment in which it evolved. Discover the best evolutionary psychology in best sellers.
The joy of daveys book is that it skillfully blends the historical conditioning theory perspective with current cognitivebehaviour theories. Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger that has been pivotal throughout evolution. We turned to some of the most eminent psychologists working today for their book recommendations. Human behavior and evolutionary psychology verywell mind. An evolutionary analysis of anxiety disorders isaac m. And since evolutionary psychology is so central to human behavior, it also deals with evolutionary psychology. Phobia, an extreme, irrational fear of a specific object or situation. This essay will discuss classical conditioning, preparedness theory and the biological basis of. I would encourage anyone with an interest in mental health and a tolerance for dense journalstyle writing to read the psychiatry parts of this book. Leave a comment to let me know about what phobia you have. Evolutionary psychologists explain human emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through the lens of the theories.
The behavioural approach to treating phobias systematic. Steven gans, md is boardcertified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at massachusetts general hospital. Its impossible to name all of the possible fears that people can have, but heres a list of the most common and unique ones, including a fear of phobias, as well as treatment options. Behavioural therapy for treating phobias 1 systematic desensitisation sd used for treating. Unlocking the psychology of snake and spider phobias date. If people didnt feel fear, they wouldnt be able to protect themselves from legitimate. Evolutionary psychology could, in my view, become a fruitful science by replacing its current penchant for narrow, and often barren, speculation with respect for the pluralistic range of available alternatives that are just as evolutionary in status, more probable in actual occurrence, and not limited to the blinkered view that evolutionary. Perspectives on psychology the biological approach the. The discipline that considers psychological and behavioral phenomena as products of natural selection. Abed, mbchb, mrcpsych, dpm, consultant psychiatrist, rotherham district general hospital, moorgate road, rotherham s60 2ud, uk.
Rebecca solnit has written many books about this, about engaging with that. I am so happy to read this i have trypophobia, although unlike most phobias, it doesnt impact my life very much. Phobias by layla stone read free book online download. Read on and well look at some different psychological phenomena and in each case well see how it might be described through the lens of evolutionary psychology phobias.
Researchers have hypothesised that this innate fear stems from a point of human history when we were nowhere near the top predators we are today. The differences in life experiences affect whether or not the conditioned fear actually develops. Natural selection leads to evolutionary change when individuals with certain characteristics have a greater survival or reproductive rate than other individuals in a population and pass on these inheritable genetic characteristics to their offspring. Our aim was to examine if all arthropods are rated similarly.
We talk a lot about fear in context of evolutionary psychology. The maladapted mind is aimed primarily at primarily at advanced. Classify each according to what type of explanation it is. Lisa fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics. Psychology may not have all the answers, but it can help you have a better understanding of yourself and others. An evolutionary hypothesis for obsessive compulsive. An evolutionary perspective on anxiety and anxiety. Theres an evolutionary reason why were afraid of the dark. A phobia is classified as a type of anxiety disorder, since anxiety is the chief symptom experienced by the sufferer. List of books and articles about phobias online research.
However, it has not been sufficiently examined whether other arthropods similarly elicit fear or disgust. It combines the science of psychology with the study of biology. Unlocking the psychology of snake and spider phobias. Fear is commonly thought to have adaptive functions in terms of both cognition and behavioral response. Pointed out that learned behavior is related to survival as much as unlearned behaviors. Evolutionary psychology and the evolution of psychology. But the best way to illustrate how evolutionary psychology works is to look at some examples of it. Its interesting that the psychology with the most superficial explanation for phobias, behavioral psychology, has. Unlike reflexes and fixedaction patterns, the relationship between stimuli and behaviors mediated by fear is highly flexible and contextdependent see modulation of fear, below. Evolutionary psychology primer by leda cosmides and john tooby.
It seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations that is, the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection in human evolution. For instance, an individual with agoraphobia fear of open spaces may be too anxious to leave their house. An accessible introduction to the science of evolutionary psychology and how it explains many aspects of human nature. After an introduction to the subject of fear and phobias, the encyclopedia presents approximately 200 az, crossreferenced entries that address phobias from a variety of anglestypes of fears, root causes, physiological. Students interested in psychology can use the blog to find books related to their specific interests. Phobias are fears that are irrational and that go beyond protecting you from danger. Evolutionary psychology is a scientific discipline that approaches human behavior through a lens that incorporates the effects of evolution. Phobias are thought to be learned emotional responses. Verbal remarks youre lucky to be alive also affect conditioned fear.
What adaptive advantage does it give to the individual, or the individuals close kin, or to the individual. Indeed, this flexibility is part of what distinguishes. Toward an evolved module of fear and fear learning arne ohman karolinska institute. However, there are numerous theories, and they can. George williamss 1966 book, adaptation and natural selection, clarified the. Although the research is still in its early phases. From an evolutionary perspective, the emotion of fear protected humans. That is, i thought it might have to do with a natural fear of disease diseased skin for example. Principles of evolutionary psychology 4 rats react to their food in a peculiar way. Phobias that were seen as shortcuts and excuses for not coming to terms with issues, under evolutionary psychology have become evolved strategies to enhance survival the real way to overcome phobias is to confront them or come to terms with them wild animals do.
After an introduction to the subject of fear and phobias, the encyclopedia presents approximately 200 az, crossreferenced entries that address phobias from a variety of angles. Critics have questioned the proposed innateness of certain phobias, such as fear of snakes. Fear of holes may stem from evolutionary survival response. Even in the psychology literature, you will frequently find the concepts used interchangeably.
Prepared fears include the fear of snakes, spiders, heights, blood, closedin spaces, the dark, thunder, public or open spaces, social scrutiny, and deep water. Perspectives on psychology the biological approach aidan sammons. A books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. An evolutionary hypothesis for obsessive compulsive disorder. Best psychology books five books expert recommendations. There are hundreds of different psychological phobias that can appear in. The psychology of irrational fear is the definitive volume on a broad range of topics related to fears and phobias. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers.
This is a nature versus nurture controversy of how we gain these phobias. A complete summary of current knowledge about phobias, for the academic and clinician first comprehensive handbook on the topic for 10 years the latest research and findings presented in a single source contributions from eminent international clinicians and researchers psychological treatments available for specific phobias have been refined considerably in recent years. A lot of variation in neuroticism the personality equivalent of anxietyproneness is due to genetic factors and to nonshared environmental experience, negating the folk psychology view that children are strongly influenced by the behaviour of their parents and the atmosphere of the family home. This therapy is directed at changing a previously learnt maladaptive response e. The books for psychology class blog is designed for teachers, whether they be teachers of high schoollevel psychology, ib psychology, ap psychology, or university professors of psychology. The best psychology books combine scientific rigour with accessible writing. The psychiatry parts of evolutionary psychopathology. Several features of such a concept of fear are important to stress. Susan mineka northwestern university an evolved module for fear elicitation and fear learning with 4 characteristics is proposed, a the fear. An evolutionary focus is valuable for psychologists, who are studying a.
Evolutionary psychologists seek to explain peoples emotions, thoughts, and responses based on charles darwins theory of evolution through natural selection, similarly to how evolutionary biologists explain an organisms physical features. And when it comes to quality, behave is one of the best sources you can find. Evolutionary psychology has generated substantial controversy and criticism. It is not identified with the conscious feeling of being afraid, nor with fear behaviors such as screaming and running away. Evolutionary psychologists, however, consider these. Neuropsychologists have identified certain genetic factors that may play a role in the development of phobias. Explores the implications of darwinian theory for explaining behavior. Fear of snakes, spiders rooted in evolution, study finds. Such intense fears of various situations may be severe enough to prevent individuals from conducting routine activities. Evolutionary theory and psychology american psychological. Phobias, the most common type of anxiety disorder, involve specific situations which cause irrational anxiety attacks. Phobias are irrational, debilitating fears of objects like spiders, heights, or being stuck in enclosed spaces that really do represent some danger to the continued survival of the human organism but whose dangerous dimensions are blown way out of proportion. Psychological phobias are what most people think of when the term phobia is mentioned. Top examples of evolutionary psychology the psychology.
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