Preparedness (learning)
Encyclopedia
In psychology, preparedness is a concept developed to explain why certain associations are learned
more readily than others. For example, phobia
s related to survival, such as snakes, spiders, and heights, are much more common and much easier to induce in the laboratory than other kinds of fears. According to Seligman, this is result of our evolution
ary history. The theory states that organisms which learned to fear
environmental threats faster had a survival and reproductive advantage. Consequently, the innate predisposition to fear these threats became an adaptive human trait (Ohman & Mineka, 2001).
The concept of preparedness has also been used to explain why taste aversion
s are learned so quickly and efficiently compared to other kinds of classical conditioning.
Learning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
more readily than others. For example, phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
s related to survival, such as snakes, spiders, and heights, are much more common and much easier to induce in the laboratory than other kinds of fears. According to Seligman, this is result of our evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
ary history. The theory states that organisms which learned to fear
Fear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
environmental threats faster had a survival and reproductive advantage. Consequently, the innate predisposition to fear these threats became an adaptive human trait (Ohman & Mineka, 2001).
The concept of preparedness has also been used to explain why taste aversion
Taste aversion
Conditioned taste aversion, also known as Garcia effect , and as "Sauce-Bearnaise Syndrome", a term coined by Seligman and Hager, is an example of classical conditioning or Pavlovian conditioning...
s are learned so quickly and efficiently compared to other kinds of classical conditioning.