Activity 5 minutes Why would it make sense to fear the following objects or situations? The dark Heights Flying Closed spaces Rats

An Alternative Theory: Evolutionary Theory Evolutionary Theory: Human beings and animals are governed by nature. It is natural to want to survive long enough to pass on your genes. ET argues: Fear is instinctive because it helps us to survive. Certain objects are more threatening to our survival than others – e.g. heights, the dark, rats.

Evolutionary Approach In your groups, read through the questions in the table. Answer each question and explain why you think that is the answer. When you’ve finished, use pages 70 and 71 in your books to write in the correct answer and the explanation of why.

1. Does the evolutionary theory explain phobias through nature or nurture? It is natural to want to survive long enough to pass on your genes.

D 2. Evolution focuses on the need to do what? Reproduce Survive Pass on genes All of the above D It is natural to want to survive long enough to pass on your genes.

– passed on from our ancestors 3. Is fear instinctive or learned according to the evolutionary theory? INSTINCTIVE – passed on from our ancestors Passed on from our ancestors We want to survive long enough to reproduce

4. Which objects, situations or animals might be threatening to our survival? Snake, spiders, the dark Limbless animals, animals with many limbs, flying animals.

5. Are these animals more or less likely to be phobias than non-threatening objects? More likely

6. Are we more likely to fear animals that are similar to us in shape and form or dissimilar to us? They are less closely related to us in terms of our genes and therefore more likely to attack us.

biologically prepared 7. Could we be biological prepared to fear certain animals? What evolutionary advantage would this have? biologically prepared Fear certain objects or situations more than others because they are a threat to our survival

8. Would we still need a negative experience with the phobia to fear it? Yes A negative experience is still necessary, but if we are prepared to fear it it will not take much to develop a phobia of it.

Add to your evaluation of behaviourist theory How could we use this alternative theory as a criticism? Point: it ignores the idea that phobias may be natural. For example, it would make sense for us to fear spiders and snakes as these could possibly harm us and kill us. Therefore, it makes sense that we are born with the instinct to fear animals which may affect our survival. The behaviourist theory ignore this as it believes all phobias are learned.

How does the evolutionary theory explain phobias? Activity Prepare a poster, answering the following question… How does the evolutionary theory explain phobias? Include: Nature not nurture Instinctive Animals we may fear and why Fear animals dissimilar to us and why Why are we therefore prepared to fear such animals? Negative experience still necessary

Mind map – VISUAL LEARNER Core theory: behaviourist approach: Classical conditioning Operant conditioning Weaknesses of core theory Ignores thinking Can learn indirectly Don’t always have a negative experience Evolutionary explanation Key concepts: 5 common phobias Symptoms of phobias Atypical behaviour Alternative theory: evolutionary theory Biological preparedness

Biological Preparedness We are born to fear certain objects more than others – because they are a greater threat to our survival. People who fear animals that could harm us we more likely to survive as they would avoid them. Objects that are harmful to us nowadays but aren’t feared, such as cigarettes were not around in our ancestors past so we wouldn’t have an innate fear or them.

Activity In pairs, undertake a piece of research: Your aim: To see whether the animals that look most unlike us are the most feared. This would support the evolutionary theory. Write aim in booklet

10 minutes Your research Make a list of 10 animals which vary in appearance – height, size, shape, skin, limbs, face. Find pictures of these animals print them out Ask 10 people to rate each animal in terms of how much they fear them, using the scale 1 – 5.

You will need to print out 10 result tables

Homework Ask 10 people to rate your animals ready for next lesson.

Results Work out the average (mean) score each animal got. Produce a bar chart to display the results. Write up your results. Write a conclusion: what do your results show? Do they support the evolutionary theory? Were the most usual animals the ones most feared?