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No convincing evidence for a biological preparedness explanation of phobias

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2019

Peter J. de Jong  and
Harald Merckelbach
Peter J. de Jong
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Abnormal Psychology, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Harald Merckelbach
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Abnormal Psychology, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Abstract

The nonrandom distribution of fears is not as clearly related to phylogenetically survival relevance as preparedness theory seems to imply. Although delayed extinction reflects some of the best human evidence for preparedness, even this phenomenon is not as robust as it once seemed to be. Apart from the evidence reviewed by Davey, recent studies from our laboratory provide further evidence for an expectancy bias model of selective associations.

Type
Continuing Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , June 1997 , pp. 362 - 363
Copyright
1997 Cambridge University Press

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