SNK

Wariness Around Snakes

Class: I - Natural Selection

EPA Total Score: 37 /100

Kennedy, S. J., Rapee, R. M., & Mazurski, E. J. (1997). Covariation bias for phylogenetic versus ontogenetic fear-relevant stimuli. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 415–422.

Abstract: In the present study, two groups of 21 subjects with either high or low fear of both snakes (or spiders) and damaged electrical outlets/appliances participated in a two phase experiment. After reading a description of an illusory correlation experiment, subjects were asked to imagine themselves participating in it. They rated their expectations for the number of occasions on which slides of snakes, electrical outlets, and flowers would be followed by either a shock, tone, or nothing. As predicted, both high and low-fear subjects reported an expectancy bias for both phylogenetic and ontogenetic fear-relevant stimuli and shock. In the second phase subjects were actually exposed to the random slide/outcome presentation. Only high-fear subjects demonstrated a covariation bias which was specific to phylogenetic fear-relevant slides and shock, indicating all other biases were effectively attenuated.

DJGlass


Supporting Evidence

70/100

Submitted by niruban

60/100

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No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any supporting Medical evidence for this EPA.

40/100

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No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any supporting Cross-Cultural evidence for this EPA.

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any supporting Genetic evidence for this EPA.

80/100

Submitted by niruban

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any supporting Hunter-Gatherer evidence for this EPA.

Supporting Evidence is evidence that suggests that this trait is an Evolved Psychological Adaptation (EPA) - i.e., that it has been shaped by natural selection to solve a particular adaptive problem.

Challenging Evidence

70/100

Submitted by niruban

0/100

Submitted by niruban

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Medical evidence for this EPA.

0/100

Submitted by niruban

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Cross-Cultural evidence for this EPA.

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Genetic evidence for this EPA.

0/100

Submitted by niruban

No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Hunter-Gatherer evidence for this EPA.

Challenging Evidence is evidence that suggests that this trait is not an EPA - e.g., that it is a product of cultural learning or genetic drift, or maybe it does not exist at all. However over each line of evidence for a description.